Young footballers in tears as cops halt practice at Girgaum Chowpatty

A highly anticipated weekend football training session turned into a crushing disappointment for four nineyearold children at Girgaon Chowpatty on March 8 when the local police ordered them to stop playing following a complaint from a senior citizen The footballers had been practising at the spot every Saturday and Sunday morning for the past two years However their session was abruptly interrupted as police cited safety concerns due to weekend crowdsIn a city already struggling with a shortage of open spaces for children to play Nepean Sea Road resident Raunak Todarwal the father of one of the children questioned why the issue had suddenly arisen now despite the kids having trained at the same spot for months on end without any prior complaintsShivprasad Dhumal an assistant police inspector API on duty at the D B Marg policersquos beach chowkie stated that such activities often lead to complaints from visitors and pose potential safety risks The incident has once again sparked debate over the lack of recreational spaces in an increasingly congested city where childrenrsquos access to play areas remains a growing concernTodarwal told midday ldquoMy son and three other children train every weekend from 8 am to 9 am They have been playing at the same spot opposite the Cream Centre restaurant There were never any issues However on March 8 while the four children were playing on the beach under the supervision of their coach a police officer approached them and told them to stop playingrdquoNitai Mehta of Praja Foundation who is against imposing outright bans or restrictions on playing on the beachTodarwal added ldquoThere were several others at the beach enjoying themselves and playing and they were also told to stop I was present at the time and when I inquired why the children were being stopped the officer said that playing on the beach was not allowed as a senior citizen had complained What struck me as particularly odd was that the officer mentioned we needed to seek permission from the BMC He said the BMC grants permission through the district magistrate or we could approach a local elected representative It was all so confusing and frustrating Does this mean that if children want to play on the beach parents must now obtain official permission from the BMC and the district magistraterdquoCop SpeakAPI Dhumal told midday that the beach sees a surge of walkers and tourists on the weekends We receive complaints that people playing volleyball cricket and football on the beach might accidentally injure others On March 8 a senior citizen raised a similar concern prompting us to ask the football players and others engaged in such activities to wrap up During weekends and holidays when the beach is crowded we must address such complaints to ensure everyonersquos safetyrdquoHe added ldquoIf we allow this group of small children to play others will follow There is a high courtappointed power committee in charge of beach event permissions We advised the parents to approach the BMC or elected representatives to obtain a formal permission letterrdquo Dhumal also clarified that it has nothing to do with the football training of the kids on the beach they acted on a complaint from a senior citizenPolice Inspector Vilas Bhosale from D B Marg police station said ldquoNo I donrsquot think this is about permissions Itrsquos simply that we do not allow people to play football cricket or similar games on the beach during weekends especially now with summer vacations approaching The beaches will become more crowded with visitors and such activities could lead to accidents like balls hitting people and causing injuries This is purely a safety measure for citizens If someone gets hit by a ball or is injured they come to us with complaintsrdquolsquoMeasured approach neededrsquoSpeaking on balancing public space use Nitai Mehta managing trustee of Praja Foundation said ldquoThe beach is a public space meant for walking playing and recreational activitiesrdquoHe acknowledged the concerns of senior citizens who visit the beach for walks emphasising their equal right to the space However he stressed that the role of the authorities should be to find a balanced solution rather than impose outright bans or restrictions on playing on the beach ldquoAuthorities need to take a measured approach to ensure that children can play tourists can enjoy the space and citizens can continue their walks Simply banning football or cricket and asking people to seek permission is unfair This isnrsquot a large public event requiring permits itrsquos individuals using a public space as intendedrdquo he arguedMehta also highlighted that if the issue is about private coaching in a public space it should be addressed separately Ultimately he called for mutual respect and understanding between those playing and those walking ensuring that public spaces remain accessible and enjoyable for allJuhu incidentLast January a similar incident took place at Juhu beach when a police jeep arrived and confiscated cricket bats and balls from people playing on the beach The scene was captured by citizen activist Zoru Bhathena who later shared the video on social mediaQuestioning the authoritiesrsquo intent Bhathena told midday ldquoThis is a very small issue If there are concerns a separate area can be designated for those who wish to playrdquo Juhu beach the main beach frequented by tourists and walkers does not officially permit playing However people regularly play on the sidelines While this can sometimes lead to issues they can be resolved through mutual understanding rather than complaintsldquoWhy stop kids from playing How is that justified Walkers and visitors can clearly see where people are playing and choose to walk elsewhere Why do we need special permission to play in a public space Unless they are causing a disturbance there shouldnrsquot be a problem As members of the public we should not be fighting among ourselves for walking and playing spacesrdquo Bhathena added