A walk with Maya's elephants

Mayawati's dream project, the Rashtriya Dalit Prerna Sthal, seems to have got a fresh lease of life, with the Uttar Pradesh government having reopened the park for visitors

The Rs 685-crore park in Noida, near New Delhi, populated with elephants and sculptures, stands as a stark reminder of Mayawati's regime in Uttar Pradesh. Now known as the Rashtriya Dalit Prerna Sthal and Green Garden, it had remained idle for nearly two years after it was inaugurated in 2011. As power exchanged hands and Akhilesh Yadav donned the chief minister's mantle, Mayawati's dream project lay forgotten. The UP government finally threw the park open to the public on October 2.

Though a mammoth monument, the space strangely lacks parking facility for cars. Those travelling by motorbikes and bicycles can park in the service lane, but the idea of people venturing to the park in four-wheelers seems to have eluded the imagination of the park's architect.

Entry, for now, at Rs 10, is allowed only via gate number 5, with fully functional ticket counters, just like the ones you find at multiplexes. All seems pretty 'normal' till you actually enter the park. It is only then that the full force of the Rs 700-crore investment hits you with its granite flooring, sprawling lawns and huge dome-like structure for a centrepiece. And you definitely can't miss the army of elephants across the complex, almost shouting out their inextricable link with Mayawati and the Bahujan Samaj Party.

Those, to whom the BSP connection wasn't clear on seeing the elephants, there is a statuesque likeness of Mayawati taking centrestage with BR Ambedkar and BSP founder Kanshi Ram to put all doubts to rest. The walls around the statues glisten with metal plaques that are carved with figures of personalities like Mahatma Gandhi. This hall has a distinct mausoleum-like feel to it, complete with the 'Keep Silence' signboards. In fact, it was the venue for the memorial service for Kanshi Ram's death anniversary on October 9. The park saw its highest footfall thus far on that day, with a total of 2,750 tickets sold, almost five times the average 500 tickets sold daily.

There are statues everywhere you look. In fact, according to the guard, who sits outside the hall, there are 12 other larger-than-life statues in the complex. The hum of traffic is a constant companion, as the DND flyway ribbons over the park. A narrow pathway leads to the area with the 12 statues, with no escape routes in between. There are various exits out of the park after this corridor, but if you are parked at Gate 5 be prepared for an exhausting walk back back.

The nearly 2-km-long walk to the statues takes you to a space dotted with fountains and manicured gardens. The park isn't ideal for walking, or any other form of exercise. It's more appropriate to call it a monument, though it currently remains one with little information about the statues or the history of the Dalit struggle. The entire area is handicap-friendly though, a definite step above the norm.

But the reality remains that the entire space needs more history infused into it, with the Dalit narrative emerging stronger. In its current form it has little to offer, other than as a great picnic spot for families and schools. This vast space would eventually need to be utilised for large-scale events. Otherwise, it will remain an elephantine task to recover the crores that were pumped into its construction and its expensive upkeep.