The gentrification of leisure spots is a noticeable trend in various towns and cities in recent years. The concept of an entry fee — once considered unthinkable — has now found widespread acceptability on the grounds that users must share in the maintenance of public space. There has been little discussion however on the modalities of pricing. Who gets to decide how much is appropriate? And how does one safeguard against the possibility of the fee becoming an instrument of deliberate discrimination. Discrimination against the poor, and against other sections of society, since studies show that class is often co-related to community and caste which means that privileging entry to public spaces can also become, intentionally or unintentionally, a subtle form of social engineering.

The issue however is not just about class but also about usage. Public leisure spaces such as parks and beaches were once perceived as mainly recreational in purpose but with changing times, health has become the primary focus (tellingly morning walkers have free entry to Kankaria). The swarming of these spaces all over urban India by middle and upper class joggers has resulted in effective security arrangements and cleaner surroundings. These developments and the emergence of informal associations such as laughing clubs have proved immensely beneficial to previously disadvantaged groups such as senior citizens. For women too, parks have become safer and more welcoming.

At the same time those seeking to enjoy themselves in ways that are less acceptable (but not illegal) or less fashionable seem to have fallen out of favour. A clear example is the efforts by the moral police to control behaviour in public spaces by separating park benches and attacking amorous couples. The conversion of open leisure spaces into concrete, regimented enclaves with specified purposes is another form of authoritarianism.

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