The Hindu : Pulling down the past

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 07, 2003

Opinion

Opinion - Editorials

Pulling down the past

THE TAMIL NADU Government's decision to flatten Chennai's first women's college in order to assign itself a new Secretariat complex smacks of secrecy, insensitivity and short-sightedness. Secrecy and lack of transparency because the decision was sprung upon the public without even pausing to consider the serious implications, particularly for the stakeholders of Queen Mary's College — the staff, students and alumni. Insensitivity because the Government seems totally unmoved by the fact that what it wants to obliterate is not merely the shape and appearance of an old institution but several old and architecturally valuable structures that have heritage value. And short-sightedness because if the Government really requires a new Secretariat complex, surely the answer lies in finding the required land that is either vacant or not being put to any significant use (for example, the virtually defunct MGR Film City).

The case for protecting QMC from the Government's bulldozers and demolition squads is impeccable. Due to a combination of official procrastination and administrative indifference, Chennai — unlike some other Indian cities — does not have a Heritage Act. But in the draft heritage regulations prepared by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), the vast and beautiful QMC campus — which encloses structures such as Pentland House (1915), Stone House (1918) and Jeypore House (1921) — was listed as a Grade II heritage precinct. What this means in effect is that the Government wants to raze what only recently one of its wings thought was eminently worthy of protection. But the case for preserving QMC goes well beyond heritage. Founded in 1914 and known earlier as Madras College, QMC's charter was primarily and specifically to work for the emancipation of women. The charter of the college and the role it has played educating women gives it a special place in the history of the city and also the State. That a Chief Minister who is a strong advocate of women's rights and empowerment should coldly earmark such an institution for slaughter is one of many cruel ironies in this case.

Another issue is what this means for the Marina. The buildings on this stretch — which face what was once regarded as amongst the finest city beaches in the world — still reflect a great deal of the city's past in a largely continuous or unbroken spread. The last thing it needs is the construction of another tasteless modern monstrosity, the kind that public works departments are so adept at building. Raising a Secretariat on the QMC campus will mean more traffic, more crowds and the kind of chaos and disorder that this vital stretch of the Marina could well do without. The assumption that the needs of the Government override the feelings and sentiments of the public is something that Indian politicians are often guilty of. It was during Jayalalithaa's first term as Chief Minister that another priceless heritage building — which is incidentally adjacent to QMC and houses the DGP's office — was earmarked to be replaced by another soulless multi-storeyed block. This plan was aborted due to a mix of reasons, including public representations and intervention of elections that were followed by a change in Government.

There is no dearth of alternative sites where the Secretariat complex may be suitably accommodated and Ms. Jayalalithaa would do well by taking a fresh look at them. Rather than becoming a national showpiece, a new Secretariat erected by predatorily poaching on the preserve of a college campus will only earn her a very poor reputation. It will show her up as being uncaring about heritage, insensitive to history and unabashed about using her power summarily, irrespective of the consequences on hapless students. The protests against the move and the considerable public sympathy about the plight of staff and students of QMC reflect the utter lack of wisdom in the proposal.

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