Maidans could be one of the crucial democratic establishments our world has invented with out ever meaning to. A maidan doesn’t care a lot about your surname, class, or whether or not you possibly can afford a membership at a membership. In case you have a bat, you possibly can play. Should you do not, you possibly can stand on the boundary, and ultimately be dragged into the sport.That isn’t how all sporting areas work. A sporting academy or non-public indoor sporting area has some sort of exclusivity and membership price. A maidan has a special logic. The wealthy and the poor can occupy the identical patch of grass, even when they don’t reside the identical lives outdoors it.Maidans are a public frequent. Public commons are locations that belong to everybody and to nobody on the similar time.Nonetheless, throughout the nation, these maidans have been shrinking. They’re being transformed into sports activities complexes with entry charges, conference centres, marriage halls, parking heaps and exhibition grounds. Some modifications enhance the power. Others merely make it inaccessible for the frequent folks.
The republic of Maidan
Fifteen or twenty years in the past, should you walked by way of Arya Nagar, one of many busy neighbourhoods in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur, you’ll have witnessed a whole lot of individuals concerned in sporting actions.Across the space referred to as Brijendra Swaroop Park have been 5 large public maidans, every roughly 100-150 metres vast and nearly 200 metres lengthy. Kids and adults, largely males, performed cricket and different sports activities, flew kites or stood round watching matches. On weekends, a number of video games may happen on the similar time.There was a sporting tradition across the maidans. In 2026, most of that house has disappeared or has change into inaccessible for regular folks to play.What stays is both behind partitions, occupied by newly constructed buildings, or diminished to small patches which can be tough to make use of for sport.Of the 5 maidans, one was walled and had a grass floor however remained open to the general public. It was referred to as Palika Stadium.The bottom was giant sufficient to host two cricket matches on the similar time — one on a matting wicket and one other on a correct turf wicket. A cricket academy additionally operated there at a month-to-month price that was reasonably priced for gamers.The stadium was used for greater than cricket. It had a basketball court docket and indoor house the place chess and carrom tournaments have been held. Faculties within the neighbourhood additionally used it for his or her annual sports activities occasions.The bottom subsequent to Palika Stadium was transformed right into a park greater than a decade in the past and named Parashuram Vatika. It has correct walkways for individuals who come for morning and night walks.That change was wanted, and the park has change into an area used usually, significantly by old-aged folks.The Palika Stadium floor itself, which stands on Kanpur Nagar Nigam land, has been divided into two elements.One half now homes an air-conditioned multi-purpose indoor sports activities complicated with amenities together with desk tennis and swimming. Membership prices vary from Rs 2,500 a month to greater than Rs 75,000 a 12 months.
The opposite half has a cricket floor and academy with floodlights. Kanpur Municipal Company constructed the power beneath a public-private partnership, and a personal enterprise now manages it.Nonetheless, the cricket academy’s price has elevated a number of occasions because the new facility was constructed. Extra importantly, the stadium is now not freely accessible to the general public.Folks can use it provided that they e book the stadium for matches. The rental value ranges from Rs 12,000 to Rs 85,000 per match.
From open maidans to marriage halls and exhibitions
The opposite three maidans reverse Palika Stadium inform a extra tragic story.In entrance of Palika Stadium have been three grounds, separated by roads. For nearly a decade, one among them was used to retailer sewer pipes that have been meant to be put in throughout the town. It turned unavailable for sporting actions round 2010.That floor now homes the Kanpur Municipal Company’s “Mangal Bhavan Baarat Shaala”, a venue that provides house for marriages and different ceremonies for a price.
One other floor has been largely enclosed by partitions. It’s used for expos and exhibitions in the course of the 12 months. Though the general public can nonetheless entry it, its situation is now not appropriate for many sporting actions.The one remaining space that may nonetheless be used for some sport is a roughly 50m x 50m patch subsequent to the walled floor.
An space that when had a number of grounds, every a whole lot of metres throughout and stretching for nearly 200 metres, has been diminished to a small fraction of its former sporting house. Even that remaining house just isn’t in good situation.
Who owns the maidan?
The disappearance of open sporting areas just isn’t restricted to Kanpur. Round 20km away, in neighbouring Unnao district, the Ram Leela floor close to Hiran Nagar was additionally as soon as used for sports activities.At the moment, native transport operators and tempos are usually parked on and across the floor, making it tough to make use of the house for sporting actions.In Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Company not too long ago proposed changing Neville D’Souza Soccer Floor at Bandra Reclamation into an exhibition or conference centre. Lots of of footballers, coaches, dad and mom, college students and residents gathered final week to oppose the proposal. On Thursday, the Bombay Excessive Court docket halted the BMC’s conversion plan, for now.“You inform us the place the folks will probably be enjoying soccer?” the Bombay Excessive Court docket requested whereas stopping the BMC transfer.Mumbai has misplaced a lot of its maidans over time. On Sunday, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief and MLA Aaditya Thackeray alleged that the reservations for 17 maidans and different open areas in Mumbai had been modified and transformed for business or residential use.
The sample is comparable in a number of cities.A floor that was as soon as meant for sport turns into a parking space, a wedding venue, an exhibition centre or a web site for public occasions. In some instances, the house technically stays open to the general public however is occupied for weeks or months yearly.
Making of a sporting nation: With out maidans?
Union finances 2026–27 allotted Rs 4,479.88 crore to the sports activities ministry. Earlier this month, the Union Cupboard authorized a Rs 29,054 crore outlay for the Khelo India Scheme for the years 2026-2031 together with Rs 7,387 crore for the Help to Nationwide Sports activities Federations Scheme (ANSF). The central authorities has additionally put aside a Rs 565 crore element for states, which they are going to dip into to share the price of future sports activities infrastructure improvement tasks within the five-year plan.India wants extra stadiums, indoor halls, swimming swimming pools and courts. These amenities are necessary for coaching skilled athletes and internet hosting competitions. They assist produce gamers who can win medals and trophies.However a sporting nation can’t be constructed fully by way of amenities that somebody has to pay to enter.Maidans serve a special objective and play an enormous half in creating the sporting tradition. Maidans are sometimes the place the place these to-be skilled athletes first kick the ball or choose up a bat. Maidans are the hub of beginner sports activities; individuals who don’t want to play sport at an expert degree. They play sports activities only for the love of the sport.Sporting tradition grows in open areas that belong to everybody, not simply inside academies or large sporting arenas. The open public maidans make enjoying sports activities an accessible factor.When these maidans disappear, sport turns into one thing that more and more wants cash or entry to a personal facility.Talking in the course of the ‘Khelo India Dialogue’ on Thursday, referred to as upon kids to decide on “playgrounds over playstations.”“Extra necessary than screens are sports activities centres. Extra necessary than PlayStation is the playground. And this can occur solely when the youth embrace this method,” PM Modi stated.Because the nation celebrates National Sports Day on Saturday, for kids to decide on the playground over the PlayStation, there first must be a playground left to decide on.
