a —km jogging track. A —-km football ground, a sports complex with ————–
is all that the Manipal university is boasting of at a ‘venue’ that was once a serene piece of barren land for peacocks and cattle to graze upon. The endpoint has become a paradise for those like me who love to admire nature.
My last evening spent there was a feeling of eternal bliss, People jogging on the track, boys skating on the finished road, students playing football on the ground, old grandmothers sitting and chattering, babies in the prams breathing fresh air, the sun setting in all hues of color and a background sound of more and more developments in the making. I have always dreamt of a calm place like this where one can spend time without realizing hours have gone past, and I think I have found it.
But I don’t want to ponder upon the effort that has gone into it because it does not help my purpose. I want to enjoy all the facilities MU can provide. After all, I have paid a fortune for all this. And I certainly am enjoying the magnificent beauty of this serene venue. Something I don’t get to see in the bustling city I live in nor in Manipal, where saving your life from rash auto wallas is a major concern.
I think it was unproductive land anyway; how can such a vast expanse of land go waste!! If it can bring peace to a ——- no of students coping up with their curriculum, it is an investment. And a profitable one!
It gave food to a good number of construction workers for whose rights I would fight with all my vigor whenever I get a chance. And I don’t understand why people confuse development with the destruction of nature. To survive, we have to grow. And as I have heard some people say that it’s not what you do that really matters, but the way you do does.
I want to call it bigger Manipal, better Manipal, inspired by life….but whose life?
Of a thousand trees which got burnt down, or of those animals who once grazed on this beautiful land? That is another school of thought, but I can’t deny its reality. Hundreds of trees have been burnt to make this land a lush green patch of grass for playing sports. More than six buildings are being built around the area because of its location. Development is happening at the cost of nature.
Well, my concern is how long will all this beautiful scenery continue? Soon this will become crowded with shopkeepers selling refreshments to those who came to jog, planet sports showcasing all its new sports collection for those who played football, and a grocery shop for those whose grand moms came to chat. Is this a new beginning or the end of the END POINT?
This article was written by Aashika Jain | The Manipal Journal
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