The Capital wasn’t built in a day. It has layers of buildings of architectural significance. These remains offer clues about one city, on which another was built, providing a cityscape where monuments and forts blend seamlessly with colonial structures and contemporary design.
'Senior citizens’ club'
While architecture of significance that is over 60 years old is protected by various agencies and the law, the fate of post-Independence architecture hangs in the balance as there’s no law to protect it. The deafening thud of “progress” came last week, when the city lost its iconic Hall Of Nations at Pragati Maidan. The demolition raised questions about the fate of other structures of ‘modern heritage’ that can be brought down any time as they’re not a part of the “senior citizens’ club”.
A.G.K. Menon, the former convener of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), said the Trust, in a bid to protect Delhi’s modern heritage, had in 2013 made a list of 62 buildings of significance constructed after Independence. It gave that list to the Heritage Conservation Committee (HCC), formed by the Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC). However, the HCC dismissed the list saying it was “without any basis, arbitrary and completely ad hoc”.
'No set formula'
“Identifying buildings that are of modern architectural significance is not mathematics as there’s no set formula that can be applied. We need people well versed in history, aesthetics and design who will put forward arguments and reasons as to why a structure should be labelled as modern heritage and thus protected,” he said.
Mr. Menon added that it’s being done all over the world, with UNESCO having identified contemporary structures that are of value. However in India, Mr. Menon said, the process is very opaque due to pressure from the government.
“We as conservationists have a very transparent approach to the subject. Time is not a criteria but expert opinion is. Modern heritage is constantly being created and the need to protect it is important as history is constantly in the making.”
Historian and writer William Dalrymple said India needs to radically revamp her architectural policy, which is 200 years out of date.
“There’s need to revamp India’s dated British laws. Every country has private buildings that are of heritage value and any responsible government will bring out a legislation to protect its modern built heritage. The current government, which claims to be a patriotic one, should be the first to do so. The government wants to bring back the Kohinoor and other artefacts, but it also needs to preserve and conserve its architectural heritage,” said the chronicler of Delhi, adding that even havelis of old Delhi were slowly being encroached upon and that they needed to be preserved before it istoo late. In the 30 years he has spent in India, he’s shocked to see the state of deterioration of these havelis.
“India must realise that its tourism is the goose that lays the golden egg. Countries like Italy and Turkey have successfully managed to protect their built heritage despite being affected by World War-II. Rajasthan and Hyderabad are examples of places in India that have managed to attract tourists with successful preservation of heritage,” he said, adding that Lahore, which is located in a country affected by terrorism and lack of political strategy, has been protected by a better conservation policy than India's.
Nehru's legacy
Some like historian Sohail Hashmi feel the Hall of Nations was not the real target but that the government wanted to destroy the Nehru Pavilion as it wanted to wipe out the legacy of the “architect of modern India” — Jawaharlal Nehru.
“No civilised nation can do such a thing. The Hall of Nations may not have been 60 years old, but after it was completed praise poured in from different parts of the globe. We need experts to comprise a panel that takes decisions on such matters. The government cannot pick and choose who it wants to appoint to such committees that oversee vandalism,” he said.
SOURCE : List of 62 buildings listed for conservation as “modern heritage” by INTACH submitted to the Heritage Conservation Committee andDelhi Urban Arts Commission in 2013
