The enclave, home to colony’s earliest settlers, stands out for its security, serenity, greenery and its cleanliness
Is Ashoka Avenue (AA) the ‘real’ Sainik Farms, or at least one which the entire colony should aspire to emulate…? The gated enclave’s spic ‘n span surroundings, clean tree-lined lanes, stately homes, sense of peace and tranquillity, and a totally secure environment are certainly a cause for celebration.
But what really sets this delightful enclave apart is the sense of camaraderie and friendly cooperation among its community comprising of 100-odd families, and a quiet sense of pride in their area as the residents banded together and worked to improve things bit by bit. Over the decades, and through unstinting efforts of many a neighbourhood stalwart, the enclave began standing out for its security, for its serenity, for its lush tree-lined greenery, and its cleanliness.
The quiet sense of pride is reflected in Nalini and Ravi Saxena’s attachment towards Ashoka Avenue even though the couple recently – and reluctantly – moved to Gurgaon to be closer to other family members. “We may be moving to Gurgaon but our hearts and friends remain in Ashoka Avenue,” said Saxena when they bid goodbye to their neighbours and friends. Reflecting on how the residents work together, Indu Sangar, the incumbent secretary of Ashoka Avenue Alliance, said, “We meet often to discuss various issues that invariably crop up while managing our colony’s affairs.
“If at all physical meetings aren’t possible, we meet online. Every issue is vigorously discussed and decisions taken amicably, keeping the colony and residents’ best interests at heart. Once that’s done, every proposal is posted on our official WhatsApp group so that each and every resident knows what’s going on,” she said. Asked about upcoming tasks, she spoke about a plan to efficiently light up Ashoka Avenue to ensure that there are no dark corners. Due attention is paid to the duty roster of the security guards and maintenance of CCTV cameras and coordination with My Gate,” Sangar said.
Asked if the colony needed help from govt departments, she said, “Yes, it would be good if the Forest Deptt helps us with pruning of trees and removing those that pose a safety hazard. We also need more streetlights.” “Our mission is to ensure efficient security, lighting, cleanliness, etc in Ashoka Avenue, so that residents and their volunteer representatives especially focus on these matters – and that’s what makes Ashoka Avenue such a special place,” she adds.
Nimrita Singh (Nimmi), another member of the MC who has lived in AA since 1991, feels the colony has always been a class apart. “One reason being its proximity to the Mehrauli-Badarpur Road, which gives residents respite from the clogged roads of Sainik Farms. And since it’s not a thoroughfare, only bonafide residents can enter,” she says.
“But the main highlight of this place is our unique community feeling. Everyone is so friendly and helpful. We frequently mingle and visit each other. We have impromptu get-togethers, meet up for walks (often late into the night) and enthusiastically participate in community affairs. There are parties happening all the time, including those for Halloween, Diwali, Dussehra, you name it,” she said. Asked if she agreed that Ashoka Avenue (AA) was special, Disha Jain, a resident of AA for the last 17 years, concurrs, “Yes, one hundred per cent! We go to Western Avenue, Anupam Gardens and Cariappa Marg etc but none of them compares with our AA.” “Our Ashoka Avenue Alliance which functions most amicably can serve as a model for others in terms of how we work through consensus.
We all look at ourselves as trustees of this wonderful heaven that we happen to be living in. The least we can do is preserve and maintain its beauty,” she said. “Our new committee has taken a number of initiatives. The previous panel, headed by Kapil Malhotra, and before him, Ravi Saxena, did a fabulous job of ironing out sundry issues with dedication and selflessness,” says Pervin Malhotra, a noted columnist and career counsellor by profession and the vice-president of Ashoka Avenue Alliance.
“The first thing I did was a massive lane-wise cleaning drive of the entire Ashoka Avenue. Had no idea what I was getting into. Ended up digging and scooping up several truckloads of rubble and plastic waste, dead leaves and fallen branches. We have these two iconic Peepal trees whose roots had spread like giant tentacles all across the road, not to mention the ugly mountain of rubble that had piled up around their girth. It took me two full months to clean up the mess and get the road widened and repaved. We’ve also begun tackling the overgrown tree branches that keep intertwining with electric cables and obscure street lights,” she said. “We also undertook a census of every empty plot to identify all the caretakers and their family members. Once authorised by their owners, they will be issued entrance passes. Cleaning up some of these unkempt empty plots is an issue that our dynamic president Rakesh Arora and our team is trying to do,” she added.
“Another achievement is the conversion of an abandoned corner plot, which was an ugly dump-yard into a children’s playground (Laburnum Park), for which credit must go to Nimmi. But I would be amiss if I did not mention the long list of our wonderful neighbours: Rajiv Kohli who has served as our treasurer for years and now his son Dushyant who is also part of our MC, the Tackers, Mohan Bir Singh, our ever-helpful Bajaj sahib, Raj Bardeja, Navneet Gupta, Rajesh Mehra, the Maliks, the Lals, the Jaidkas, the Goel brothers Pankaj and Neeraj, Mr Sangar, the ever-smiling Dr Daya and Arvind Misra who was a key member of our previous MC, our very practical Karan Anand, and countless others who make Ashoka Avenue so, so wonderful. And special. Each resident is a personality in his/her own right and deserves to be featured separately. I can write a story on each,” Malhotra says.