The Red Fort draws more than 30 lakh visitors every year, or 150 lakh visitors over five years.I was piqued to read that the Union government had signed a contract with big businessmen to protect about 100 historical and heritage monuments, including the Red Fort.
Dalmia Group, which has been entrusted the care of the Red Fort for five years, is a cement manufacturer with little experience in heritage conservation. They just have to spent Rs 25 crore over five years to raise their flag over the Mughal monument.
The agreement with Dalmia is absurd as the company has been given concessions for construction and garden designing. They can charge fees for their services as they like. The Red Fort draws more than 30 lakh visitors every year, or 150 lakh visitors over five years. The monument could earn Rs 150 crore over the five years if every visitor is made to pay Rs 100.
We know what has happened to the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram. The temple became out of bounds for pilgrims as the tales of its immense treasures hidden in its vaults surfaced. The latest visitors are only curious about the riches of the temple.
History and heritage are the assets of a country, but our national monuments have been reduced to mere tourist destinations. We have to look elsewhere for tourism development. Unfortunately, this nuance is lost on our rulers and administrators.
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An alternative way to protect heritage monuments has been successfully proven for about 10 years by the Aga Khan Foundation. It has been carefully conserving Humayun's Tomb in Delhi.
It is not without a reason that all Independence Day celebrations are held at the Red Fort. The fort was the nerve centre of the First War of Independence in 1857. The war cries of the valiant Bahadur Shah Zafar might still be echoing through the fort. The government should listen to it and pass on the historical experience to future generations.
What else are the archaeological and heritage departments tasked with? Our cultural heritage is our most invaluable asset. That can never be sold out. The government should pay heed to the voices of protest from across the country.
(The writer is the head and chief architect of the Habitat Technology Group.)
