India, July 25 -- The horses are paying no attention to the cricket match between three boys. They continue grazing on the monsoon-wet grass as a bright orange ball flies past them. Beyond in the field, partly littered with polythene packs, stands the white pavilion built for Queen Elizabeth II's visit in 1961. On the other side, the very tall Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Civic Centre rises over the ground.

It is an ordinary evening in one of India's most politically charged grounds. Elsewhere in central Delhi, protesting crowds are gathered at Jantar Mantar. For long, Ramlila Maidan has served a similar purpose. Sometimes when demonstrations outgrow the other place, they move here.

The pavilion has witnessed some of independent India's i...