There were no concrete structures such as the current buildings of the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), Nepal Telecom, General Post Office and Army Officers’ Club. The wide expanse there was open to the public after four in the afternoon. Local young people used it for outdoor sports such as football (and occasionally cricket) and athletics. Older people came there for brisk evening walks. All in all, Tundikhel was one wide, open, large green turf where people spent their quality time with very little fear of being exposed to environmental pollution, which, these days, is the bane of Kathmandu people, no matter which part of the city one goes to.

Shrinking spaces

That large Tundikhel has been fragmented time and again. This happened in the days of the so-called partyless Panchayat system and continues in these days of the so-called multiparty liberal democracy. No matter who rules from Singha Durbar—whether an autocrat or so-called democrats—the net result is the same. Public heritage is considered the property of the government in power and those who rule deem it their prerogative to do whatever they want with it, paying least consideration to the needs of the people. The manner in which the governments in power during the Panchayat days and in the post-1990 days have given away public places to various government-owned enterprises and even private individuals is an indication of just how insensitive those in power are to the people’s needs and aspirations.

When the Nepal Airlines building was being constructed in late 1969, this writer protested in the only way he knew how: by writing against the decision in a local English daily. Not that it mattered, for who cares for written protests? But the NAC was not the only structure constructed in a public place. There was a Sano Tundikhel, which also happened to have a pond, in Tripureshwor and this was turned into the National (later renamed Dashrath) Stadium. This construction is forgivable because it caters to the needs of sports and not to any profit-making government or privately-owned enterprise. There is now an urgent need to construct another stadium because there is hardly any parking space in the stadium. In any case, major traffic disruptions take place whenever large sporting events are held there. A new stadium with all major facilities and amenities needs to be built in an area that is at a reasonable distance from the city.

Where do the children play

Talking about open spaces for the young and old alike, there was once a Sano Gauchar. Even this has been taken over by the Sports Council and a mini-stadium has been built. There was once a lot of open space in Jawalakhel, just in front of the zoo, but this too has been given away to the Nepal Telecom, which constructed an enormous building there. The open space in Chhauni was used for outdoor sports by the people of the area and, also sometimes, by the youths living in the inner core of Kathmandu. But this area too is now out of bounds since the Army has taken it over with its hospital and barracks. What we now see is the rapid shrinking of public open places in the Kathmandu Valley. Just how important are public open spaces can be gauged from the fact that thousands of people found shelter in Tundikhel when the 1934 earthquake destroyed most of the houses in Kathmandu. One can only wonder where the government will accommodate the people of the city should such an earthquake or other similar natural calamity hit the Valley.

I cannot help but reminisce about the Tundikhel of yesteryears because I grew up playing there and I have laughed and cried in that vast swathe of open space. One cannot help but wish that the children of today could also play there and take active part in outdoor sports because it not only helps develop mental and physical health but also inculcates in children a much needed sense of team spirit that will stand them in good stead throughout their life. But intra-party rumblings in almost all political parties today indicates just how ignorant our political leaders are about team spirit, which would have delivered results not only for their parties but for the country as well. The need of the hour for the government, which has no qualms about acquiring even historic buildings to broaden roadways, is to acquire land for public playgrounds in and near the Capital. We need many more Tundikhels today because of the phenomenal growth of the population in the Capital city.