This is a call for accountability, not just from the event management company responsible for this travesty, but from all of us. Diljit, I urge you to be a voice of reason and respect in this situation. Hold your management accountable, demand more from the event organizers, and stand up for those who silently endure such injustices. Let this be an opportunity to advocate for the preservation of our sports infrastructure, to remind us all that every profession deserves respect, and that a society is only as strong as the regard it holds for all its citizens.
Dear Diljit,
I write to you with both admiration for your artistry and a sense of shared responsibility, following your recent concert at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi. The event was grand, a testament to your talent and the adoration of your 70,000 fans. Yet, the condition in which the stadium was left afterward is deeply disheartening and raises pressing questions about the respect and accountability we owe to our public spaces and to those who dedicate their lives to sports.
After the lights dimmed and the crowd dispersed, the stadium, which should have remained a sanctified space for our athletes, was left in a state of chaos. Athletes, who entered with the singular intent to train and improve, found themselves instead confronted by mountains of trash. Heaps of waste were carelessly dumped into the long jump pit, forcing these athletes—the very people we rely on to represent us on the global stage—to clean up the debris just to prepare for their day. Alcohol bottles, remnants of rotting food, and other remnants of revelry littered the track. Vehicles had driven over running lanes with complete disregard, while pieces of broken sports equipment lay strewn about, a silent testimony to the lack of respect for the very purpose of that space.
To put it plainly, the management responsible for your event vanished, leaving behind a disgraceful scene, showing no intention to restore the stadium to its rightful condition. And while I understand that you may not be directly at fault, your influence and leadership hold the power to make an example of this incident.
You come from Punjab, a state that reveres its sportspeople, a land that has birthed some of India’s finest athletes. You have witnessed first-hand the sweat and sacrifice it takes to achieve greatness in sports. Athletes dedicate their lives, working tirelessly with discipline and commitment, hoping to bring honour to our country. They, too, deserve respect—respect for the spaces where they practice, train, and dream. The sight of our athletes clearing out heaps of trash left behind by your concert is a painful irony: entertainers are celebrated, while those who toil to bring sporting glory are left to clean up the mess.
As a public figure, your influence extends far beyond entertainment. With millions who look up to you, you possess the rare ability to not only bring joy and inspiration but also to educate, to guide, and to set an example. This incident, if left unaddressed, may merely fade into the past, but by choosing to stand up and hold those accountable to task, you can make a lasting statement. You have the power to demand that your team, the event organizers, and even your fans respect these shared spaces and honour those who rely on them. In this way, you can emphasize that while celebration and enjoyment are essential, they must never come at the cost of the dignity of others or the integrity of our facilities.
It is easy to place the blame on the government or “the system” when something goes wrong. But as citizens, we must confront a more uncomfortable truth: how often do we reflect on our own responsibility in situations like these? How frequently do we consider our impact on our shared spaces and on the lives of those around us? This is not merely an issue of management failure—it reflects a deeper, cultural issue of insensitivity and disregard for the efforts of others.
As a society, we demand excellence from our athletes. We expect them to bring home medals, to compete with the world’s best, and to lift our nation’s spirits with their victories. But can we, in good conscience, hold these expectations when we fail to provide even the most basic respect for their training spaces? How can we expect our athletes to thrive when we reduce their training grounds to dumpsites, when we deny them even the dignity of a clean field?
This is a call for accountability, not just from the event management company responsible for this travesty, but from all of us. Diljit, I urge you to be a voice of reason and respect in this situation. Hold your management accountable, demand more from the event organizers, and stand up for those who silently endure such injustices. Let this be an opportunity to advocate for the preservation of our sports infrastructure, to remind us all that every profession deserves respect, and that a society is only as strong as the regard it holds for all its citizens.
Let us not forget that the responsibility to respect, preserve, and protect our shared spaces is on us all, especially those like you, who have the platform to influence change. I ask you to take a stand, to address this issue publicly, and to ensure that such disregard for sports facilities and athletes is not repeated. For in doing so, you would remind us all the dignity that every profession deserves, and the honour that we must extend to those who serve and represent our country in any capacity.
With hope for positive change,
Dr. Kanishka Pandey
Head- Centre for Sports Research
IMT Ghaziabad
