Locals, activists unite to save Ara Ramna Maidan

Ara: On a foggy and freezing Sunday morning, a number of lawyers, doctors, businessmen, students, socail activists and theatre artists were busy cleaning the trash littered, pruning the bushes and merrily watering the plants at Ramna Maidan, the only open space and public ground in Ara town.

These people had assembled under the banner of ‘Ramna Bachao Abhiyan’, a campaign to free the Maidan from encroachment and filth. Talking to TOI, one of the active members and a lawyer Rashmi Raj Kaushik said, “It is the only ground available to Ara residents for playing, jogging, morning walk and organizing rallies or public events. The ground, unfortunately, has been encroached from all sides. Many vehicles are parked illegally. Stray cattle roam freely and some anti-social elements use it for gambling and drinking. Some people, who lack civic sense litter the place with trashes. So we have launched this campaign for the last one year to free the ground from encroachments and also from littering.”

“We have also planted saplings and nurse them regularly. When the campaign started last year in December, there were only 4-5 people, but now there are about 150 active members from all walks of life who gather here every Sunday morning, come rain or sunshine,” said Kaushik adding, “We are also fighting a legal battle for this through a PIL filed in Patna high court. According to a Supreme Court directive, a public ground should not be used for any other purposes except for the purposes it has been made.”

Coordinator of the movement, Ashok Manav said, “Ramana Maidan is part of our cultural heritage. We have filed a PIL in the high court in 2010. About one month ago, the state government had also sought a report from the Bhojpur administration on the matter. We are hopeful of winning this battle.”