Caught in red tape, city misses Unesco deadline

TNN

NEW DELHI: Delhi has missed the bus to be in the race for the prestigious world heritage city tag this year. While the culture ministry may have cleared the tentative nomination dossier for submission to Unesco, Delhi will not file its nomination as the deadline for 2012-13 has been missed.

Sources have revealed that the newly formed world heritage advisory committee has finally approved the 92-page dossier submitted by INTACH Delhi Chapter last year in July. Though the dossier clearance has not been notified officially, sources confirmed that the committee has studied the dossier thoroughly and passed it. Several months ago, the ministry of culture had laid down new norms for India's submissions regarding world heritage status to Unesco. Every nomination now has to be cleared by the newly established advisory committee that includes experts, historians, and archaeologists.

"Only after the committee approval, could the tentative nomination dossier be sent to Unesco's headquarters in Paris. We had hoped Delhi would be nominated in 2012-13 as the tentative dossier was ready much before the submission deadline. However, now that a new process for clearance is in place, we have lost out on this year's submission list and can only make the submission next year,'' said an INTACH official.

Sources said the culture ministry decided to set up the committee after a number of its applications for world heritage status like Shantiniketan, Qutub Shahi Tombs, Majuli Island were rejected by Unesco. It was then decided that a new committee was required to evaluated all future applications.

"Either the applications submitted were incomplete or the designs were inadequate or the nomination dossiers not up to the mark. Whatever be the reason, too many applications were being rejected so now the world heritage advisory committee has been established to scrutinize and evaluate all future proposals,'' said a source.

Work on the thick six-volume final nomination dossier is already under way and INTACH is focusing on more awareness campaigns to spread knowledge about Delhi's potential as a world heritage city. Last year, a number of lectures, walks, seminars were held across the city and more such events are being planned. "While it's a positive sign that a process has been initiated by the culture ministry to expedite world heritage nominations and ensure that the nomination applications are up to the mark, it should have been established much earlier. Due to the delay, Delhi has lost out on a precious year,'' said a heritage conservationist.

Caught in red tape, city misses Unesco deadline

TNN | Jan 30, 2012, 02.10AM IST


NEW DELHI: Delhi has missed the bus to be in the race for the prestigious world heritage city tag this year. While the culture ministry may have cleared the tentative nomination dossier for submission to Unesco, Delhi will not file its nomination as the deadline for 2012-13 has been missed.

Sources have revealed that the newly formed world heritage advisory committee has finally approved the 92-page dossier submitted by INTACH Delhi Chapter last year in July. Though the dossier clearance has not been notified officially, sources confirmed that the committee has studied the dossier thoroughly and passed it. Several months ago, the ministry of culture had laid down new norms for India's submissions regarding world heritage status to Unesco. Every nomination now has to be cleared by the newly established advisory committee that includes experts, historians, and archaeologists.

"Only after the committee approval, could the tentative nomination dossier be sent to Unesco's headquarters in Paris. We had hoped Delhi would be nominated in 2012-13 as the tentative dossier was ready much before the submission deadline. However, now that a new process for clearance is in place, we have lost out on this year's submission list and can only make the submission next year,'' said an INTACH official.

Sources said the culture ministry decided to set up the committee after a number of its applications for world heritage status like Shantiniketan, Qutub Shahi Tombs, Majuli Island were rejected by Unesco. It was then decided that a new committee was required to evaluated all future applications.

"Either the applications submitted were incomplete or the designs were inadequate or the nomination dossiers not up to the mark. Whatever be the reason, too many applications were being rejected so now the world heritage advisory committee has been established to scrutinize and evaluate all future proposals,'' said a source.

Work on the thick six-volume final nomination dossier is already under way and INTACH is focusing on more awareness campaigns to spread knowledge about Delhi's potential as a world heritage city. Last year, a number of lectures, walks, seminars were held across the city and more such events are being planned. "While it's a positive sign that a process has been initiated by the culture ministry to expedite world heritage nominations and ensure that the nomination applications are up to the mark, it should have been established much earlier. Due to the delay, Delhi has lost out on a precious year,'' said a heritage conservationist.

Heritage lovers blame weak security for museum theft

Paul FernandesPaul Fernandes, TNN | Jan 29, 2012, 06.39AM IST


PANAJI: The daring robbery at the Christian art museum in Old Goa and the loss of priceless antiques has triggered shock among heritage lovers, who blamed it on the "weak security system".

Unidentified persons strangled a 55-year-old lone guard at the museum in St Monica convent at around 6.30pm on Wednesday and committed the theft after grabbing the keys from him, police sources said. Five gold antiques from the museum, once projected by its management as a unique showcase of Indo-Portuguese art, were taken away from a monument of the church complex at the world heritage site.

Heritage lovers and conservationists have raised several queries about the management of the museum, alleging that the lack of strict security may have exposed the artefacts to pilferage.

"The issues of safety and security are of prime importance in the management of a museum as they are prime targets for the heists," says Savia Viegas, a Fullbright scholar who was attached to Smithsonian museum, USA, for almost a year.

The nuns from St Monica convent called the police after they heard the guard's cries as he was apparently being strangled. "Actually, there should have been a device with the watchman, which should have triggered a public scare or woken the whole neighbourhood, especially when museums are located in isolated places like this," Viegas said.

The daring robbery also raises questions about providing security to security personnel. "The best option was to install a CCTV with a recording facility to keep track of persons entering the premises round-the-clock," Damodar Mauzo, a member of the curatorial committee of a new museum at the old Secretariat, said.

Raising another aspect, Victor Hugo Gomes, a former founder curator of the Christian art museum, said it is risky to entrust the keys to security guards in the present set-up. "Should our priceless heritage be left to the mercy of security guards with unknown credentials?" he asked.

Gomes alleged that the thieves knew how the museum's locking systems operated. "Retaining the security personnel for more than seven years, as in the present case, is not a done thing," he said. Agreed Perry Goes, a Bangalore-based Goan collector of vintage items, "The fact that it didn't take much for the thieves to walk away with the antiques shows that the security was weak."

However, a source attached to the museum management explained that the keys were given to the security guard due to frequent short circuits at the museum. "The keys were given in the eventuality of some electrical problem occurring," the source said.

The management has installed CCTVs in the museum, but admitted that it has no recording facility. Regarding the annual allocation of 3 lakh towards the maintenance of security, the source added, "It is utilized to defray the expenditure of the security guard's monthly wages."

The prestigious project aimed at conserving rich Indo-Portuguese art was initiated by the Goa archdiocese around 1988. Supported by Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, (INTACH), New Delhi, and others in terms of funds, technical guidance and other contributions, the effort finally culminated in setting up of the museum at Rachol in 1994. It was shifted to St Monica convent, Old Goa, a decade ago.

The priceless antiques sourced from churches from various parts of Goa and also loaned from some families' private collections were largely liturgical objects and a collection of paintings and other artefacts.

Questions are being raised by some about the role of a management committee, which comprises prominent citizens, overseeing the affairs of the museum. But a couple of members when contacted said they are only peripherally connected to its running. "The day-to-day administration is looked after by the management through a "12-member trust," a member said. The managing committee is likely to meet early next week to take stock of the situation. "This incident is an eye-opener for all of us," a member said.

Terming the antiques in the museum as world heritage, Viegas said the management should be wary about international buyers of antiques. "There is huge movement of antiques from the third world to the western world," she said.

Mauzo said the Old Goa heist throws up lessons for museum managers. Agreed Prajal Sakhardande, executive member of the Goa Heritage Action Group, "Now museums have become targets of antique robbers as the government failed to nab the culprits who stole antiques and idols from our churches and temples," he said.

The government should launch a massive search for the culprits, said heritage lovers. Gomes added, "The government should not entrust the solving of Goa's biggest heritage robbery to just one police inspector."

Centenary plans for Delhi drift as state govt passes buck to centre

NEW DELHI:(TNN) Less than six weeks from now, Delhi will complete 100 years as Capital, a position that has made it the most privileged city in the country with everything from maximum security to the best roads and flyovers, fanciest airport and the largest Metro network. Surprisingly, plans to celebrate the centenary have suddenly lost steam. Sources say senior government functionaries are cagey about being labeled 'imperialist' for celebrating an event bearing the Raj imprint. The proclamation about Delhi, after all, was made at the 1911 'Delhi Durbar' of King George V.

So far, the Delhi government has not announced any plans for the centenary. It seems to be waiting for the Union ministry of culture to draw up guidelines on the proposed celebrations. Chief minister Sheila Dikshit, who holds the culture portfolio at the state level, says, "Government of India's ministry of culture has to draw a plan on what to celebrate and how to celebrate. I feel they don't have a clear direction yet."

Dikshit admits there are "concerns" in officialdom about the centenary celebrations : "Exactly, there are concerns . I would not say that there is any debate. But yes, there is ambivalence on what to celebrate and how to celebrate" . While the government is clearly wary of joining the fanfare, Dikshit says groups of residents, schools and associations will be celebrating the occasion on their own.

Top bureaucrats in the state are unwilling to discuss the celebrations, saying they will merely "implement" the Union ministry's plan. Asked about the centenary, a senior Delhi official sought to ingeniously paint it as a national event. "Delhi alone cannot celebrate 100 years as it is the capital of the entire country. To mark any historical milestone , one would have to take note of other related historical developments, such as the shifting of the Capital from Kolkata," he said.

Sources say some officials have opposed the celebration on historical grounds, as Delhi was the capital city under the Tomars and the Chauhans , the Sultanate, and then again for a part of the Mughal rule. They therefore want the centenary to be observed 'cautiously' in a way that is not misinterpreted as a salute to imperialism.

Former INTACH convener and historian OP Jain says, "The centenary is a landmark year, but the government does not want to link it with the Durbar. Yes, there is a controversy and one has to tread carefully. Delhi was always the capital, be it during the reign of Prithviraj Chauhan or the Mughal era and its status was only restored in 1911. The city has a history dating thousands of years and portraying it as capital for a hundred years would be undermining its importance" .

Prof Aditya Mukherjee, a history professor at JNU, says, "Delhi has been the celebrated capital of many dynasties, and to date it as capital only from 1911 seems artificial. If we highlight only the British crowning of Delhi as capital, then we will be focusing only on the colonial choice of Delhi . The earlier history of Delhi as the country's capital needs to be emphasized more."

Another noted historian adds, "2011 marks 100 years of the decision to restore the traditional Tomar-, Chauhan-, Khalji-, Tughlaq- and Mughal capital as the capital of British India. This decision also resulted in the building of New Delhi, which remains a remarkable and much admired architectural ensemble and is more worthy of celebration ."

On December 12, 1911, King George V declared Delhi the new capital of India at Coronation Park. Facelift of this park by DDA and INTACHDelhi Chapter is also behind schedule. While Delhi Tourism's celebratory events started on October 7, in the absence of clear directions the organizers have been using the 'Delhi Celebrates' tag for all events. The same logo was used for the Commonwealth Games events last year.

Talking of the Games, it's surprising that the authorities did not lose sleep over last year's mega event, as the Commonwealth's link with the Raj is even deeper. It is an organization of erstwhile British dominions , headed by the Queen.

A top official of the tourism department says, "The events were planned for centenary celebrations but to ensure this does not become controversial , they were promoted under the Delhi Celebrates logo. Delhi has been the Indian capital from prehistoric times and not just for a hundred years. We planned the events so that they commence on December 11, when Delhi was crowned capital of British India in 1911.

Awareness on ‘reuse’ of heritage monuments


HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, January 27, 2012 Email to Author

How about turning a 15th century monument into a public library? Or for that matter, can a monument be used as a crèche for children from the area? These and other such suggestions have been received as part of an event to focus on ‘redevelopment’ and ‘reuse’ of heritage monument — Khirki mosque in south Delhi— in urban setting.

The monument from the Firoz Shah Tughlaq era, Khirki, was the theme for a competition titled ‘Khirki Heritage Re-use Design Competition’ for architecture students. Tucked away inside Khirki village, almost choked by houses from all sides, is a showcase of unique architecture.

Organised by Axiom India, a group of architects, there were 32 entries suggesting redevelopment and re-use of the historic building. While the ASI gave permission to hold the event at Khirki monument, Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) supported it as part of its campaign towards nomination of Delhi as World Heritage City.

“It is part of the campaign to involve people in conservation of heritage,” said AGK Menon of INTACH’s Delhi chapter. This was entirely a community effort without direct involvement of government agencies

100 years of Delhi: Focus on heritage in Lutyens zone



NEW DELHI: While the legacy of the capitals of the Mughals, the Lodis, the Tughlaqs right up to the Delhi Sultanate period forms much of the shared heritage of the city, very little is talked about of the heritage aspect of British capital of New Delhi.

As it completes 100 years of being the capital, heritage experts want to bring New Delhi to the centre of the public consciousness by introducing the concept of heritage walks in Lutyens zone.

Heritage conservation group INTACH has been prolific in using the tool of heritage walks, and has conducted guided tours in past months in and around the heritage-rich areas of Lodi gardens, Sultan Garhi, and Mehrauli, among others.

Now, its Delhi chapter is planning to take the concept to the New Delhi, the last capital in present-day Delhi which has been home to seven major capital cities, dating back 3,000 years to the time of Indraprastha.

In a city which dates back to at least three millenia, 100 years is hardly history. Nevertheless, the youngest capital zone of Delhi, does make for a remarkable heritage in itself.

"As 100 years is hardly considered history, no one has looked at New Delhi from the perspective of a heritage area," A G K Menon, convener of Intach's Delhi Chapter says.

"New Delhi is now just nearing the 100-year age mark and we need to focus on it as a centre of rich heritage," he said.

Commensurate to this need, the experts associated with INTACH are preparing the contours of heritage walks in New Delhi.

The British capital, the foundation of which was laid in December, 1911, was planned by two leading 20th century British architects - Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker - who embedded it with Victorian style grandeur.

The grandeur is visible in the magnificence of the Rashtrapati Bhawan, the Parliament House, the North and South Blocks - the seats of the Indian government, besides the India Gate, the residential zone of white bungalows and the commercial centre of Connaught Place.

The heritage walk along the Lutyens zone - often associated with the present day power centre - will focus on the significance of this part of Delhi and the facts behind its planning.

"If I tell a lay man that New Delhi's planning was derived from the Garden city movement, he or she not understand much. We will have to tell people what the Garden city movement was and how it influenced the construction of New Delhi.

"This will be our focus, to make people aware of the significance of New Delhi, about the principles that guided its construction," Menon says.

Garden city principles, a method of urban planning where cities were planned as self-contained communities surrounded by greenbelts or parks, greatly influenced the design of colonial and post-colonial capitals during the early part of the 20th century, including New Delhi.

The heritage tour of New Delhi will try to cover the monuments, buildings and residential spaces in the region and given the vastness of the area, tourists might also be taken for a bus ride.

"The monuments of New Delhi have been remarkably preserved. The buildings and the mounments remain largely in good shape and the only thing that is worrisome for now is that the trees are growing old," he says.

Coronation Park: Monument to capital's civic neglect


NEW DELHI: It was to have been ready in time to commemorate the centenary of Delhi becoming the capital, but the historic coronation park, which once held the lavish durbar of King George V and houses stately statues and columns that are testimony to a bygone era, cries for a long-awaited makeover - thanks to bureaucratic lethargy and the incompetence of civic bodies.

The park, called Coronation Memorial, is situated in north Delhi, spread across 49 acres near Burari village. It is here that King George V announced the shifting of the British Indian capital from Calcutta to Delhi Dec 12, 1911.

"The whole expanse is filled with pits and puddles. It is just a dusty open space with some donkeys braying, plants growing on plinths of century-old statues of British nobility. The ground is used for cricket matches by some youngsters in the neighbourhood," lamented Nanditha Gururaj, a heritage walk coordinator.

According to Gururaj, the park has huge tourism potential. "Braving the thorns, rubbish heaps and overgrown grass, tourists still visit the place as they want to see where the durbar was held and where New Delhi was proclaimed capital of British India," Gururaj told IANS.

"It is unfortunate that after several years, the park is yet to be ready and a tourism potential site has been in a state of neglect for decades," says a city-based historian.

The renovation of the park has missed several deadlines. "The park's conservation was first conceived in 2005. With six years left for the capital's 100th birthday, the government was confident about developing 'the junkyard of history' into a cultural centre for north Delhi," said an official at the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach).

"After several hiccups and initial feet dragging by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), the ownership of the park was shifted to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) in 2007. Intach and an NGO were asked to prepare a concept proposal," the official said.

Nearly two years after the initial talks, DDA and Intach's Delhi chapter joined together and a contract was signed at the end of 2009 for developing the park costing Rs.16 crore.

DDA set a deadline for the renovation work on Dec 12, 2011. But till date, the park is in shambles. According to DDA authorities, the renovation work will now be completed only until June 2012.

"We submitted a detailed facelift plan in April 2010. But DDA gave contracts for civil work only in July 2011 and they signed us for the conservation work only recently," the Intach official said.

The facelift work was divided in three major components - landscaping, interpretation centre and conservation of the coronation pillar and statues.

"Only 30 percent of the work has been completed. We started the work only in September last year, as the tender process for the project had taken several months. After three months, we were not able to work because of the rains. Since the soil was wet and loose during the rainy season, we had to extend our deadline from April to June 2012," a senior DDA official told media.

"Around 150 labourers are working daily on the park," the official said.

The official also informed that the conservation of statues and pillars takes time as they have to be cleaned with certain chemicals.

"The statues and the pillars have to be chemically cleaned. The renovation programme will take time. Cleaning, repairing and restoring the park which was left untouched for nearly a century is not easy. It takes time," said a DDA official.

The Convener of Intach's Delhi chapter, A.G.K. Menon, said, "It is disappointing that the park was not ready for the centenary, but we all know how the government system works. We cannot blame only the authorities, the whole system is slow."
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