Bhopal: Chaos erupted at the Global Investors’ Summit (GIS) held at the two-day Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya in Bhopal earlier this week. A viral video captured wild scenes in a dining hall where the crowd cheered and rushed to the food counter, sending plates flying as people snatched them and the counter collapsed.
Another video showed people grabbing plates from workers causing them to crash onto the floor. In some clips, attendees danced with joy while workers looked helpless. Yet another recording revealed people fighting over plates, leaving broken pieces scattered across the floor.
A police officer and a guard at the venue maintained that operations ran smoothly during lunch denying any claims of chaos.
However, sources confirm these videos are from the second day of GIS, i.e. Monday, February 25. Entry was open to everyone that day and students let loose in the dining hall meant for commoners. Despite ample food, mismanagement grew with the swelling crowd. Notably, these individuals were not investors; investors and other VVIPs had their own dedicated dining halls.
Big investment numbers
A vibrant sign for the Global Investors’ Summit, 2025, Bhopal. Photo: Huneza Khan
Held on February 24-25 this year, the GIS is a biennial event organised by the Madhya Pradesh government to showcase the state’s investment climate and industrial infrastructure to attract domestic and international investors. This time, it was held in Bhopal, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the event where the security and management remained strong.
Two days after GIS 2025, chief minister Mohan Yadav announced that Madhya Pradesh had secured investment proposals exceeding Rs 26.6 lakh crore with the potential to generate approximately 17.34 lakh jobs. The industrial policy and investment promotion department received proposals totaling over Rs 8.6 lakh crore while the renewable energy sector attracted Rs 5.72 lakh crore in investments, together accounting for more than half of the total proposals and anticipating the creation of over 7 lakh jobs.
Notably, the Adani Group committed Rs 1.1 lakh crore across sectors such as pumped storage, cement, mining, smart meters and thermal energy aiming to create over 1.2 lakh jobs by 2030.
The flip side
An official who wished to remain anonymous tells The Wire that the Modi government erred by amassing large crowds under the false assumption that all attendees were genuine supporters.
“They brought in students who were unrelated to the summit, investment or the government. They didn’t contribute, instead the government provided free pickup and drop services. Some wore their identity cards around their necks posing for photos, while others were there solely for the free food, oblivious to the event’s actual purpose. The situation was chaotic with people aggressively fighting for food, as if they had never seen a meal before. It felt more like a spectacle,” the official says.
Despite the deployment of over 1,200 traffic officers, both the delegates and local commuters faced significant challenges in reaching their destinations. Many participants had to walk several kilometers to and from the venue due to heavy traffic congestion. The anonymous official saw traffic police stopping officers’ vehicles and a minister walking 6 km due to congestion on a one-way road.
Despite their efforts, even VVIP vehicles were towed and faced long delays. Poor management created a single-line traffic jam, forcing many to walk long distances.
Grand makeover at what cost?
Bhopal underwent major renovations spending crores to host investors with streets adorned with artistic designs, colorful paintings, and vibrant decorations at key locations.
A daily wage worker at Manav Sangrahalaya, originally from Bihar shared his experience with this reporter. Brought in by a contractor from Delhi, he had been working 12-14 hour shifts for a month earning Rs 600 a day. The pressure was immense, though he appreciated the free food at the event. Even a short tea break invited scolding and insults from the contractor.
“Kuch nahi kar rahe ho. Time pass karne aaye ho kya? (You’re doing no work. Are you here to just pass time?)” they were told. The labourer smiles when this reporter asks him, is this bandhua mazdoori (bonded labour)?
“Pet aur parivaar paalne ke liye karna hota hai (I have to do this to feed myself and my family),” he replies.
Authorities cleared vendors by the lake and on the route all the way till Manav Sangrahalaya forcing many to seek alternative work. Dependent on their daily earnings, daily wage workers struggled as police blocked movement and restricted public access.
Shuttered down shops on the route from the lake to Manav Sangrahalaya remained closed. Photo: Huneza Khan
“Police closed all routes not allowing any movement. We were told to vacate by February 10 and couldn’t return until the event ended. I worked in homes washing dishes and doing chores to survive. We reopened our stalls when we saw the public returning but we had already lost days of work. The event came at the cost of our livelihoods,” says a vendor at the lake who opened the shop for the first time on February 26 after restrictions were lifted.
“Roz kamate hain, roz khate hain, to kharcha kaise nikalein? (We earn daily to eat daily, how will we make ends meet?) They even stopped the public from coming. How could we sell anything without people? Anti-encroachment officials and the Nagar Nigam warned us to open shops only at risk of loss,” he adds.
“This was a multi-crore makeover but the ones who made Bhopal beautiful were pushed aside. Daily wage laborers earning Rs 160 a day were removed. The rehdiwalas selling Maggi and chana from the lake to Manav Sangrahalaya were asked to leave 15 days before the event. What did they eat for those days? Their livelihoods were taken away instead of managing the crowd with police deployment,” says the official who remained anonymous.
“Bhopal’s true beauty lies in its people but they were erased to impress a few. Tea stalls vanished, livelihoods disrupted, and even cow dung was imported for a cultural showcase. Fountains that had been dry for years suddenly started flowing, walls were painted, and roads got a thin tar layer—set to crumble in days. The city looked grand, and the event was proud, but at what cost? They blurred the originality,” he laments.
Looking at the bright side
Even the tea stalls near Iqbal Maidan were removed for the event, while restaurants were allowed to run. Despite the shortcomings, the people of Old Bhopal believe the summit has still brought a fair bit of positive change.
Gauhar Mahal after renovation. Photo: Huneza Khan
“Despite being the capital city, Bhopal had never seen such governance before. They transformed its face within a month. Though it is a superficial development, at least the roads have improved. The once-neglected Old Bhopal feels alive again,” says Anas Ali.
“They declared Sadar Manzil a heritage hotel, and renovated Iqbal Maidan, Gauhar Mahal and Moti Masjid. With Sadar Manzil now a five-star-level heritage hotel, VIP movement might finally improve Old Bhopal’s long-standing traffic issues. People here, especially in Old Bhopal, see this as a hopeful sign,” he says.
