‘Secret Santa’ event disrupted: Books confiscated, curators detained

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru

A ‘Secret Santa’ event organised by the silent reading group CubbonReads at Bengaluru’s Cubbon Park on Saturday afternoon faced unexpected disruption when park authorities confiscated numerous books and detained the event curators. The incident occurred as a larger-than-anticipated crowd turned up, catching the organisers off guard.

The event had been planned as a book exchange, where attendees brought wrapped books to be redistributed randomly using numbered chits. Following the confiscation, Cubbon Reads took to social media, expressing their dismay: “We really hope they give the books back as it was merely a gift… we were not doing it for any commercial reason.” The group later revealed that the curators had been detained for two hours and had to seek intervention from senior officials to recover the confiscated books and secure onwardstheir release. They were also compelled to write an apology letter.

In their statement, Cubbon Reads alleged that park authorities had threatened their curators’ careers, demeaned non-Kannada speakers, and issued warnings about filing an FIR along with a fine of Rs 35,000. One of the curators stated, “We always wanted to remain a community, not turn into an organisation, but if needed, we will form an association and work towards filing a PIL for making parks more accessible for all creative activities, whether done solo or in a group.” The curator also referenced Article 19 of the Indian Constitution, which grants citizens the right to freedom of speech and expression and peaceful assembly.

“A public park running on tax-payers money cannot deny constitutional rights to the tax-payer,” the curator added. Cubbonreads, which has been hosting silent reading gatherings in Cubbon Park since December 2022, fosters a love for reading in a serene outdoor setting. In a Sunday post on their Instagram handle, the group issued a “call for stories of harassment at the hand of park authorities.” They shared, “Our experience yesterday has scarred us more than scared us. What really stumped us are stories of harassment by the Cubbon Park authorities during peaceful and lawful gatherings.” The post detailed allegations of park authorities bullying various groups, from botanists studying mushrooms to birders, dancers, free yoga groups and even running clubs, often targeting gatherings of young people. The group urged individuals to share eir stories of harassment for journalists to know.