Bengaluru: The ‘Secret Santa’ event organised by the silent reading group Cubbon Reads in Bengaluru’s Cubbon Park was abruptly halted on Saturday afternoon after park authorities confiscated a large number of books and detained event curators. The disruption occurred when the event attracted a significantly larger crowd than the organisers had anticipated.
The Secret Santa event involved attendees bringing wrapped books, which were then randomly re-distributed based on a numbered chit. Following the confiscation, the group took to social media to express their frustration, saying, “We really hope they give the books back as it was merely a gift… we were not doing it for any commercial reason.”
While the authorities claim that over 1,000 people attended, the group maintains that the turnout was around 500, acknowledging that they had not expected such a big turnout.
Kusuma G, Deputy Director of Horticulture at Cubbon Park, told Deccan Herald that any gathering of more than 20 people at the park requires prior permission from the department, which Cubbon Reads had not obtained. She explained that to hold events, a fee of Rs 30,000 and a security deposit of Rs 20,000 are required, regardless of whether the event is free or non-commercial. She further clarified that while events like marathons, walkathons, yoga sessions, and book readings are permitted, religious activities are not allowed in the park.
In a another statement, Cubbon Reads alleged that the curators were detained for two hours and had to contact senior officials to leave along with the confiscated books. The group claimed they were also required to write an apology letter. They accused Cubbon Park authorities of threatening their curators’ careers and demeaning those who did not speak Kannada. Additionally, the group was allegedly threatened with an FIR and a fine of Rs 35,000.
One of the event curators told DH that they were asked to unwrap a book, as the authorities suspected it contained unlawful things. The curator suggested that the issue seemed to stem from a broader discomfort with young people, rather than the event itself.
Another curator claimed that the authorities’ tone and behaviour changed after a lawyer intervened and contacted a top-level officer. The confiscated books were eventually returned.
