Commons as Playground

[Ayush]

One of our interns’ go-to for respite has been to head out every evening to play in the vast tracts of common land in the village of Peddamandyam where we reside. In these trips, I have observed that kids and young adults gather and play sports ranging from a competitive game of volleyball to a game of marbles and flying kites in these common lands. Commons serving as a playground is a valuable asset in strengthening a society’s communitarian values.
A significant number of studies have catered to the deepening problem of a lack of playgrounds in metropolitan cities and schools. The lack of playgrounds has been associated with a number of worrying concerns such as increasing childhood obesity, obsession with gadgets and social media, and an unhealthy attitude to failure. Along with the aforementioned problems, another concerning issue is the impact lack of playgrounds has on social solidarity.
Children from various social and economic strata play games together, instilling in them the spirit of teamwork and, by extension, ties of inter-class solidarity. A divide can only be increased by a lack of interaction between classes, especially during the developmental stages of life such as in childhood during which the mind is not too adulterated with prejudice and is more open and welcoming to social impressions. Sports can help bridging this gap, with examples of games calming hostile tensions if not bringing together antagonistic groups even in the international level. Respect and admiration for fellow players creates and strengthens solidarity and breaks through the barrier of social and economic differences. This inter-class interaction also helps in instilling empathy that will make way for initiatives for the upliftment of the disadvantaged classes. It promotes an attitude of listening to and considering the viewpoints of others rather than remaining constrained to one’s own.
Eradication of commons will take away the playgrounds and confine the children to their homes, leading to a lack of social interaction. There are avenues in the metropolitans where children can pay to play in privately owned playgrounds but this practice excludes a large number of households of those who cannot afford such luxuries. To allow for and safeguard social solidarity, it is essential to save the commons from external threats of private acquisition or from the government diverting the land for other purposes.

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