According to the residents association president Jitender Kapoor, the association has been at loggerheads with the Red Cross Society since the past five years over holding mela in residential premises and has asked them to hold it outside residential areas. The association has given a representation to this effect to the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC). ``The city's rising crime graph led to this decision. With a lot of effort and planning the residents have formulated a security scheme. This includes installation of iron gates, regulating and reducing the traffic flow and a pass with a photograph for each vendor. But this mela attracts a lot of unwanted crowd,'' Kapoor told Express Newsline.

According to Kapoor, the residential association requested the Red Cross Society secretary, Colonel Krishan Gulati, to stop holding the mela. The two parties, however, finally decided that the venue would be shifted from the central park to the one near the exit gate of the colony.

Kapoor said, ``The park was ideally suited for the event as the crowd would have been limited to one corner of the colony''.

Despite the accord, the association believes that the society reverted to its earlier stand. ``Once they held the event in the corner park. Later, for two years it was organised at the Sports Authority of India grounds near Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, then it was back into the colony again last year'', said Jitender Kapoor. ``We were given a promise last year by the Colonel that it would be the last time, but it is happening again'', he said.

``If it is happening, it is for a good cause'', explained Colonel Gulati. ``Charity fairs like this mela are the only way we can earn for further charitable errands'', he said.

For Colonel Gulati Red Cross has equal right to organise a function as other residents of the colony have. ``We also have premises in the colony. If they have every opportunity to arrange marriages in those very lawns, then why can't a charity function take place'', said the colonel. ``Like every one else, even I asked for a no-objection certificate from the association, but they refused to give me'', he justified. ``I have every permission from every department which one needs to organise a function inside the lawns. The number of police personnel has been increased since last time. It has been notified that the parking place will be near Dayal Singh college and on the main road outside the colony with traffic personnel at the two lots. Then what are they cribbing about'', he said.

The Colonel has also apparently engaged a private agency to add to the pre-arranged security. As far as the shift was concerned, ``I asked them if the mela could be arranged in the corner park, but the association denied it down'', he informed.

As for now the two parties are waiting for the arrival of the d-day, October 2. Each has decided to go its own way. The Colonel, who claims to be supported by most residents, is not willing to budge from his stand where as the association which believes to be united on the issue has pledged to fight the battle out on its own.