When the denizens of
Mumbai venture out of their homes to claim their streets, the Carnival Begins!! :)
Sacrificing their
Sunday morning sleep, city lovers and sports enthusiasts participate in Times
of India’s recent initiative called Equal Streets. The premise of this
undertaking is simple- people have as much right to the roads as do
vehicles!
Last Sunday morning, I
participated in the campaign by walking the long stretch between Santcruz
(West) to Bandra (West) and back. Accompanied by two uncles, an aunt and my
father, I finally joined the bandwagon, I so eagerly wanted to be a part of.
The traffic on one side
of this ever-so-busy stretch was reserved for people to do literally whatever
they liked… Iskcon’s Hare Ramas chanted and artists painted. Yoga co-existed
with zumba and folk music with indie-pop; bollywood music was not left far too
behind.
People were seen
walking, jogging, bicycling, tricycling, skating and skateboarding. Infants
were escorted in prams by their parents. That too must be a fun ride, I
suppose.
The streets were being
colored, literally, by little children while a footballer showed off some
balancing acts to entertain the crowd. Groups of people also played cricket,
football and basketball near the sidewalk.
One nuclear family
didn’t feel the need to visit the nearby Juhu Beach as they got a chance to sit
on a number of newspapers, which served as mats, as they enjoyed the early
morning sun rays.
In the meantime,
Shoppers Stop- a renowned store- executed a drive to distribute bottled water
to the policemen managing the crowd at the event. Indeed a very thoughtful and
eye-catching PR exercise.
Speaking of police, I
must admit that the security at Equal Streets was flawless. While the Mumbai
Police stood guard to prevent and control untoward incidences, the traffic
police too put their best foot forward by manning all crossroads and leading
the pedestrians safely to the other side.
Times of India also
arranged for volunteers aplenty and medical professionals to ensure that all
visitors had a safe and enjoyable time with their friends and family.
My
companions and I witnessed 45 children in school uniforms participating in the
event. Upon enquiry, my father learned that the children and their teachers had
traveled all the way from Thane (a far-away suburb) for this experience.
Since
I too had traveled from Jogeshwari to be there, I realized that space truly is
of great value to Mumbaiites. And when an entire road is opened up to them,
they will not miss a chance to leave their footprints on that trail! I also
experienced pleasure as I watched all vehicles cramming to one side of the road
and the drivers envying the pedestrians as they rollicked and celebrated on the
other side.
Equal
Streets is a wonderful initiative which must be supported by all Mumbaiites. While
this is not the first of its kind internationally, it indeed is one of the first
in Mumbai. Being a part of the campaign makes you fall in love with Mumbai a
little more, it makes you feel its spirit all around you- talking, walking,
smiling, laughing, falling and sprinting back up!
Equal
Streets has won my heart. I hope it does yours too…
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