Enjoying a walk along the green lanes of India Gate may not be the same kind of experience anymore. The favourite haunt for many Delhiites is slowly losing its sheen as the Delhi Police has removed vendors from Rajpath, which is usually bustling with families. While the authorities have taken the step to ensure safety of VIPs, not many in the capital are upbeat about the move, as they feel it’ll make India Gate lose its personality.
Says Delhi-based musician, Stefan Kaye, “Once the vendors are gone completely, the aura and buzz about India Gate will be lost. I suppose we like to cling on to memories of our childhood and the removal of ice-cream vendors, which for many people are synonymous with India Gate and days out with family and friends would be a disappointment for many. Personally, I neither eat nor like ice-cream though the distinctive illuminated ice-creamwallah’s canopies provide a picturesque backdrop to the area.”
Nostalgia strikes many as they talk about the fun times at India Gate. “My dad and I would often park the car at a distance and then we would walk down to Rajpath to enjoy an ice-cream. But that isn’t the case anymore. More so, I feel sorry for the vendors as this move must’ve hit their business badly,” says Akanksha Zariwala, who works with a magazine.
There are others who feel that wiping out vendors won’t be that easy as it’ll take the sheen off India Gate. “From slum dwellers, elite, to youngsters, everyone just loves the local chuskees dished out. India Gate will lose its brand value if local vendors there are suddenly gone. They add to the aura of the whole place. Without local vendors, I feel the place will lose its soul,” Samhita Tanti, a mediaperson.
Rajan Bhagat, spokesperson, Delhi Police informs, “We have only removed vendors from Rajpath. They can stand and sell at one particular road. We have only altered the law on Rajpath road for security purposes.”
So, while the Delhi Police has only banned them from Rajpath, looks like they are not doing enough business at other places around India Gate.
Ocean Khadwal, a young golf-player residing in Connaught Place, says, “Rajpath is the right place for them. That’s where the local crowd gathers. The absence of vendors makes the place look so dull and boring. India Gate only looks good buzzing with people. They have always been there, it was a part of what we did when we all were kids.”
For those, who regularly visit the place to just enjoy ice-creams and the greenery of the place, they will miss families which used to come to spend a day in the park.