Expressing serious concern over the maintenance of the historic Red Fort here being auctioned out to the Dalmia Bharat Group, the Indian History Congress (IHC) has called for an “impartial review” of the arrangement by “the Central Advisory Board of Archaeology or any other recognised body of experts”.
Suspension demanded
The IHC – the largest professional and academic body of Indian historians with over 10,000 members – has demanded that the deal over the Red Fort be kept suspended till then.
‘No experience’
“The Indian History Congress is greatly perturbed at the announcement that Dalmia Bharat, a cement company with no known experience of maintenance of monuments, is being made the custodian of the Red Fort of Delhi, a major national monument. It has also been announced that other monuments, including the Taj Mahal, are also in line for being handed over to similar private parties,” said a statement issued by the IHC.
“The terms on which the Red Fort is to be handed over to Dalmia Bharat are disturbingly broad. The company can ‘construct’ as well as ‘landscape’, and it will run an ‘interpretation centre’ as well,” the statement added, picking holes in the MoU.
Humayun’s Tomb
The IHC recalled that it had also “expressed dismay” over the permission offered to the Aga Khan Trust “to interfere with the basic structures, decorations and ornamentation of Mughal monuments in the Humayun’s Tomb complex and surrounding areas”.
“The way the Red Fort is being entrusted to Dalmia Bharat is still more troubling for the company has no claim to any experience in maintenance, conservation, preservation and interpretation of monuments,” it said.
“There is ample room for the fear that in order to attract tourist traffic it may propagate false or unproven interpretations of particular structures in the complex. Once such claims are set afloat, especially when they are of a sectarian character, it is found extremely difficult to get rid of them,” it added.
