 |
| Sport in Annandale C1930 |
'While there is Sport in Annandale
Or Whiskey in Jutogh'
Rudyard Kipling
The rather beautiful and most poetic Annandale now finds itself at the center of a new tussle between the military and the civil government. On one side the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh has accused the army of unlawful occupation and demanded that it be returned to the people for the construction of public sports facilities. On the other side, the army are claiming that the ground is both safer in their hands and performing a more essential function. It is no surprise that Annandale is such a strongly fought over prize. It stands on the edge of the crowded town, a perfect expanse of lush, flat, grass surrounded by steep hills, some of which are carpeted with trees, while others are blanketed by houses.
It is undoubtedly to the army's credit that they have maintained the grounds so well in the years since they were loaned the ground during the second world war. It is certainly pleasant to walk on Annandale, when allowed, or to view it from the mall. However, as such a precious resource it seems to me that it should be shared with all the community, as it was before the army took control. In the days before WWII Annandale was a wonderful park for the people. Far from being a still, somewhat distant, beauty, it was full of life, with fairs, open air theater, lavish midnight picnics and sporting events. Today Shimla, lacks any real central public park that can perform this function, surely then giving the ground back to the people is the sensible way to go. That said, I understand the fears that the government can not be trusted to develop the area properly and I would most certainly be against it becoming a single use venue, such as the proposed cricket stadium.
Is it too much to imagine that the area might be sensitively developed into a public park? And, that the surrounding forest be placed under a preservation order to prevent further destruction?
