Long distance: India’s protest sites drift from power centres
Urbanists and activists say this is changing not just where citizens can make their voices heard, but also how public spaces are used.
Protesters in India are increasingly being forced to stage demonstrations away from traditional power centers and public attention, shifting to designated protest sites. In Bengaluru, protests were once held across the city, but now are concentrated in Freedom Park, which was once a former central jail. In Delhi, protests were once organized in major public spaces like Connaught Place and Jantar Mantar, but now are restricted to areas like Azad Maidan, Valluvar Kottam, and Metro Channel.
In Mumbai, protests that used to be held at Girgaon Chowpatty and August Kranti Maidan are now confined to Azad Maidan. Chennai demonstrators are now restricted to inland stretches such as Valluvar Kottam. In Kolkata, processions that once moved freely through the Maidan and Esplanade are now directed into small, cordoned lanes.
This trend of concentrating protests in designated areas away from power centers reflects how cities accommodate dissent and who gets access to public spaces in a city's political life.
Written by urgent.news from Hindustan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
