Coldplay: The show goes on, and on, for BJP, Gujarat govt

The stadium with 1.3 lakh capacity, owned by the Gujarat Cricket Association, has always been celebrated by the BJP government in the state and at the Centre as “the biggest in the world”.

Two days after Coldplay wrapped up its Ahmedabad shows, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after whom the stadium is named, cited their success as an example of the potential of a “concert economy”, which could help “boost tourism and create jobs”. Modi was speaking at the inauguration of the Utkarsh Odisha Business Conclave.

Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi shared that the stadium was filled to the gills over the two days of the Coldplay shows, on January 25 and 26. Of the total 2.5 lakh who attended, he noted, 1.70 lakh were from outside the state.

To others in the Gujarat government and BJP, the Coldplay success has boosted Ahmedabad’s bid to host the Olympics circa 2036. The Gujarat BJP posted as much on social media, promoting the show with the tagline ‘Ahmedabad Gearing up for Olympics 2036’.

Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw supplemented these voices, posting on X that the concerts “showcased India’s capability to host world-class events”.

Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation put out a statement saying that many more people took the Metro for the concerts than had done for cricket matches. For example, it said, its previous ridership high was 1.65 lakh people on the day it ran 439 trips for the IPL match in May last year. While it ran fewer trips, 406, for the concert, the corporation said, as many as 2.13 lakh people rode the Metro.

Western Railway posted on X that “17,000 fans” had travelled on the 13 special trains run from Delhi and Mumbai to Ahmedabad for the concerts.

Commandos of the National Security Guard were part of the 4,000-strong force deployed for security.

Before it was christened the Narendra Modi Stadium, the Motera venue had held its first big event when Modi hosted US President Donald Trump during his visit to India in February 2020. An estimated 1.25 lakh people had attended that event, including top US and Indian officials.

The Coldplay shows followed in the wake of two other big concerts held in Ahmedabad recently – by Diljit Dosanjh on November 17 last year and Arijit Singh on January 12 on the GIFT City grounds in Gandhinagar. They showcased Gujarat’s infrastructural prowess as much as the construction cranes at work which formed their backdrop.

A top government official said: “Today, if people Google ‘Ahmedabad’, the search will throw up all these events and the praise that (Coldplay lead singer) Chris Martin showered (on the show)… They will get to know (about Gujarat) for themselves.”

The official added that unlike other big cities, Ahmedabad was “safe”, and that young girls and boys dressed in their best could be confident about “freely walking the streets without the fear of being harassed”. Apprehensions about safety are one of the prime considerations for concert organisers.

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Narhari Amin, who is also a former president of the Gujarat Cricket Association, said that the smooth conduct of an event of this scale is “a very big thing”, and pointed to the facilities at the stadium – such as multiple entry and exit points – making it an apt venue.

Amin, who was once in the Congress, added that the Modi government began planning for “an event of the scale of the Olympics” a while back. “He had introduced Khel Mahakumbh when he was the Gujarat Chief Minister. Even Amitbhai (Union Home Minister Amit Shah) encouraged building of sports infrastructure in Naranpura and several places in his constituency.”

An official from a sports body said: “Infrastructure wise, we are far ahead. We have 12 years to go (for the Olympics), and hosting it will not be a problem at all.”

Meanwhile, other events are already coming Gujarat’s way. On Wednesday, Chief minister Bhupendra Patel met the President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, Chris Jenkins, to discuss preparations for hosting global events like Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in 2025, the Under-20 Athletics Championships in 2028, and the World Police and Fire Games in 2029.

Gujarat Congress chief and Rajya Sabha MP Shaktisinh Gohil questioned the BJP’s “hype” over the Coldplay concerts, saying: “Look at the plight of the diamond industry, the farmers, who are not getting the right prices (for their produce)… What is the BJP doing for them?”

Referring to the stampede at Prayagraj, Gohil said: “Instead of taking credit for someone else’s (Coldplay’s) success, they should have taken care of the common people at the Kumbh… They took care of only the VIPs.”
Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi called the BJP’s “hype” regarding the Coldplay concert a “diversionary tactic” from “the real issues of unemployment, price rise, education, health and so on”.

“While we welcome encouragement of culture and sports, the BJP has scrapped the posts of music teachers in schools and posts of physical education instructors in schools remain vacant. Building one playground per taluka would benefit the citizens much more than building and celebrating such large stadiums. These only give political mileage to the BJP,” Doshi said.

He also asked how the promotion of Coldplay, “a foreign band”, sits well with the BJP’s slogan ‘Vocal for Local’. “Why not promote local dayro (folk music from Gujarat)?”