Players agitated again over rough garba ground in Vadodara; police intervene
For the second consecutive night, the participants, angered by the rough playing field, jeered and gathered on the ground, demanding a refund over the presence of sharp stones and wild shrubs in the playing area.
3 min read
A sheri garba performance in Vadodara Tuesday. (Express photo by Bhupendra Rana)Vadodara’s biggest garba, organised by the United Way of Baroda (UWB), has come under heavy criticism after day two of the garba on Tuesday night also witnessed angry patrons demanding a refund over the presence of stones in the playing area.
For the second consecutive night, the participants, angered by the rough playing field, jeered and gathered on the ground, demanding a refund over the presence of sharp stones and wild shrubs in the playing area. They also climbed onto the stage to corner the organisers, following which officials of the Manjalpur police station intervened to control the crowd.
Hitesh Patel, who has been playing at the UWB garba for several years, said, “This is the first time that we are having such a bad experience… The organising skills of this garba are steadily on the decline. Now, I feel it would be better to choose other local garbas that are also priced at less than half the cost we pay here.”
Another player, Parul Shah, whose group of friends have colour-coordinated costumes for the nine nights says that the “enthusiasm” has been dampened.
Shah said, “We are a group of 10 and have been playing together for years… Like every year, we have coordinated costumes and even paid for choreography for the nine nights. The first two nights have been such a sour experience that we are disappointed… It is so difficult to dance on that field without footwear.”
Advocate Virat Waghela from Vadodara has already filed a petition in the consumer court against UWB, while the organisers say they are taking best efforts to fix the ground at Kalali.
Minesh Patel of UWB said, “We are trying our best to clear the ground… There has been a problem with the mud that has been brought in. The ground was 70% better yesterday than on Monday and we are hopeful it will be better today (Wednesday).”
On Tuesday night, personnel from Manjalpur police station intervened and assured the patrons to allow the organisers time to rectify the problem. Police also assured the players, who were demanding that a complaint be filed against the organisers, that any formal complaint will be taken if the resolution is not satisfactory.
Singer Atul Purohit, whose voice is one of the major attractions at UWB, also spoke to the approximate crowd of 40,000 patrons, urging them to “let go” one last time. Purohit, who was hit by a stone thrown by one angry patron, said from the dais, “This is the first such incident. But I understand your disappointment. I am with you… I am requesting you to let go one last time today with the promise that if the ground is not cleared tomorrow, then I will back off from the garba.”
You May Like
