Children losing recreation space
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 05 2009: "Uncle, may I have some water", asked a small girl at the ticket counter of Indira Park after playing for hours, drenched in her own sweat and extremely thirsty.

But, alas there is no drinking water facility in the park.

So, the man at the ticket counter pointed to the house of the chowkidar directing the girl to go there for water.

Although it is crucial for their physical and mental growth to provide ample space to children for playing and other recreation activities, it is now a big question how many children in greater Imphal area enjoy any form of outdoor recreation.

With the growth of population, play grounds and courtyards which were once common in every locality and homesteads have become a thing of the past.

On the other hand, there is very few or no children park worth its name in greater Imphal area.

Kids play a ground, but the space is shrinking

This only means that a large number of children are being forfeited of their rights to recreation.

Despite the fast shrinking space for recreation of children, the State Governments seems too busy to spare any thought on the matter.

Various other factors are also restricting the movement of children, or playing games or simply running around for fun.

The reluctance of parents to allow children play outside their homes in view of the prevailing armed conflict, disappearance of open grounds, utilisation of available local grounds in adult oriented activities, lack of play grounds in most of the schools, failure of the Government to develop play grounds and children park etc.

are some of the factors denying children to play or indulge in recreational activities.

Head of Paediatrics Department, RIMS Dr Ranbir Laishram said, "Many parents consult doctors that their children lack appetite and that they eat very little".

"One primary reason for lack of appetite among children is low level of physical movement like playing or running among the children", Dr Ranbir said.

Playing games or simply running with peers helps greatly in developing muscles in a child.

Playing games also helps in removing tension from the minds of young children.

Playing games also helps in the psychological and emotional growth of children besides promoting social interaction.

Interaction or playing with other children boosts self-confidence, determination and self-esteem of a child, he said.

Children of these days, particularly of greater Imphal area are alien to traditional games like Keiga Yenga Shwa, shwa; U Laobi, Cheitek Kotpi, Kela Thugaibi etc which were very popular children games a few decades back.

This does not mean that they have taken to modern games like football, cricket etc.

It is a very small percentage of children who have the privilege to play these outdoor games.

Yet, some children in the age group of 14-15 years can been seen playing games in some big grounds like Polo Ground, Hapta Kangjeibung, THAU Ground etc, at times where is no sports tournaments or major events are held in this grounds.

Nowadays, it is a rare sight to see small children playing at the gates of their homes or their localities.

They are either busy going for private tuition or watching TV or playing games in computer.

In the face of such situation where children are being literally confined to their homes without any space for physical games or recreation, there is only one children park under Planning and Development Authority in the whole greater Imphal area.

The lone children park lacks several basic infrastructure and amenities.

This is in addition to a very small play ground located in Bal Bhavan complex inside Khuman Lampak Sports Complex.

Indira Park located to the north of the GM Hall was inaugurated by the then Chief Minister Rishang Keishing on November 16, 1997 .

Though it is designated as a children park, many grown-ups can be seen loitering around or sitting inside the park.

There is no drinking water facility inside the park.

Even if one chooses to buy packaged water bottles, it is not available inside the park.

There is no shade or protection from sun and rain.

There is no parking space for the visitors coming to the park.

The play ground is dusty and there is no toilet facility for children.

On the other hand, majority of the visitors coming to the park often shows lack of civic sense.

They can be seen littering around wrappers of packaged eatables in the park.

They can also be seen helping the children urinate anywhere in the park.

Many adults coming to the park often occupied the playthings installed in the park exclusively for children.

Talking to this reporter, the men sitting at the ticket counter said that the number of children visiting the park has declined since the academic session commenced.

During December and January, a large number of children came to the park.

There were days when all the visiting children could not be accommodated in the park.

Money collected from selling tickets rose as high as Rs 700/800 on such days.

These days around Rs 400/500 can be collected on Sundays occasionally.

The chowkidar of the park said that he is in charge of BT Park too.

There is no sweeper or gardener.

It is said that the chowkidar should do all their works.

But he faced lots of difficulties to do all these works, the chowkidar confided.

Ten year old Bobo Tayenjam from Keishamthong Top Leirak said, "I could not play in school nor in my locality.

At the same time, I could not come to the park every day.

I come to the park today following my mother who is buying some articles from Khwairamband Bazar".

Raju, a guardian, from Thangmeiband Yumnam Leikai said that there is no play ground for children in his locality.

But children must play.

However there is no alternative to Indira Park, he observed while expressing his desire to make the park exclusively for children and to develop it properly.

Compared to children parks developed in other States, Indira Park is lagging far behind but it is still useful as their is no play ground at home, said another guardian Aruna from Singjamei.

Saying that used to come to the park on Sundays, Aruna expressed desire that adequate number of children parks be developed.

But according to an official of the PDA, there is no plan at present to enlarge the park or develop another park in some other area.

Yet, efforts are on to open a restaurant inside the park, he added.