News India Live, Digital Desk: Remember that night? When did RCB lift the trophy for the first time? That celebration, that flood of tears… But on the same night, an incident also happened which shook the whole of Bengaluru. We are talking about that painful stampede, which took away 11 of our fellow fans from us. Chinnaswamy Stadium is completely silent after that incident. The silence was as if even the ground was mourning. But friends, life goes on and so does the passion for cricket. Now the big question is – will IPL return to this historic ground? A very important meeting of the Karnataka Cabinet is going on in Belagavi today (Thursday) to find the answer to this question. Where is the matter stuck? (Where is the deadlock?) Now it is not just about cricket but about the safety of ‘human life’. The government is clearly saying – “We love cricket, but not at the cost of anyone’s life.” After the last accident, the Michael D’Cunha Committee had raised many questions regarding the safety in the stadium. The arrangements to control the crowd appeared inadequate there. This is the reason why no big match took place there for the last several months. Neither the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup matches nor any other series could be held there. What indications did DK Shivakumar give? The news of some relief for the fans is that there has been a positive meeting between Deputy CM DK Shivakumar and the new KSCA President Venkatesh Prasad (yes, our own former fast bowler). DK Shivakumar told the media in his frank style – “We have no intention that Cricket should be stopped from Chinnaswamy, this is the pride of our city, but we need a promise that next time the fans will be safe. He also assured that he will not allow IPL matches to be shifted out of Bengaluru. Meaning, there is still a ray of hope left! What will happen today? (What will happen today?) Today the government and KSCA will be face to face in the cabinet meeting. All those plans will be put on the table as to how to improve the entry and exit in the stadium, how to handle the crowd and if (God forbid) a similar situation arises again, then what are the preparations? If the government is convinced, then the green signal will be given. But if there is even a slight lapse in security, then RCB may have to play its “home matches” in Pune or Visakhapatnam. And to be honest, calling RCB “Home” on any other ground would not be acceptable to the heart. Suggestion for Fans Friends, whatever be the decision, we also have to understand one thing. The real fun of the game lies in staying safe. The government can take tough decisions today – like reducing the seating capacity of the stadium or making security checking more stringent. We have to be prepared for some changes. For now, just keep fingers crossed. By this evening it will be clear whether the heart of Bengaluru i.e. ‘Chinnaswami’ will beat again or not.
Comments are closed.