Raise your hand!

“And we have come to free it,” says Dr Gaurav Chhabra,championing yet another cause. This Sunday morning saw the doc and pals get together and re-discover this ‘mecca of democracy’. “Many of the participants here have come for the first time and were real glad to discover that such a place exists in Chandigarh! They were quite amazed by the vision behind this concept,” adds the doc.

Taking a stand,social activist Hemant Goswami of the Burning Brain Society,”It is necessary that people should take ownership on such issues. Until we come together on a common platform,the Administration will keep on taking advantage of citizens’ ignorance…it should be understood that visiting any public place is a fundamental right of every citizen as enshrined in Article 19 of the Constitution.” Jeroninio Almeida,founder of I-Congo,from Delhi also joined in the campaign and adds,”Most of the time people complain about issues but never take a direct action. Change can only be brought about by involving people in the decision making process.”

According to Sawan,a visual artist from the city,who also made an animation film on the event,”The place is visually very appealing and it’s sad that it is not being promoted among people. Now that I’m here,I’d like to make more films on it.”

“The Chandigarh Administration doesn’t allow anyone to organise any discussion forum at the place and the road to the Open Hand monument now has a board saying VVIP Parking. Even CITCO’s Hop On Hop Off bus is not allowed to visit the Monument. Schools are not given permission to visit for educational tours. This is the defeat of the founding vision of Open Hand and its ‘Contemplation Pit’,” points out Dr Chhabra,who initiated the movement.

Chandigarh,he feels,is increasingly losing such places to commercialization and it is very necessary that action be taken at the earliest to keep public places intact for the actual intended use rather than segregating such places for selected few individuals. “I’m very sure that this movement will grow into a mass campaign.”

Your RIGHT:
The Right to Information states:
1. No permission is required to visit the Open Hand
2. The protocol of High Court has no say over the Open Hand and hence,has never ordered for restricting the movement of public to Open Hand.
3. Special security and traffic police has no official orders to stop any vehicles or tourist from visiting the Open Hand monument.