Protests Against the Privatisation of Historical Sites Erupt in Assam
Image Courtesy: Northeast Today
After the Dalmia group was awarded a five-year contract to maintain 17th-century monument Red Fort in Delhi, the protests over Adopt a Heritage Scheme grew louder in Assam where a slew of organisations staged a demonstration against the privatisation of maintenance services. Under Adopt a Heritage scheme, launched by Ministry of Culture and Archaeological Survey of India, the industrial houses can adopt historical sites for maintenance and become "monument mitras".
The state government has selected Kaziranga National Park, Rang Ghar, which is also the oldest amphitheatre of Asia, Kareng Ghar and Shiva Dol for the scheme. Protesting groups, including Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti and All Assam Students Union, alleged that these four monuments are the pride of Assam and cannot be handed over to private parties for maintenance. The protests were triggered after a private company submitted its expression of interest for the maintenance of the monuments.
The concerns further escalated as several environmentalists feared the move could be devastating for state's wildlife. The Kaziranga National Park is home to thousands of animal species, including one-horned Rhinoceros, an endangered species because of the illegal wildlife trade.
The scheme has drawn sharp criticisms from historian bodies and historians. Launching a scathing criticism over the awarding of the contract to Dalmia group, Indian History Congress -- a reputed body of historians with 10,000 members -- said a cement company with no amount of experience in preservation of monuments cannot be handed over such a task. The body also expressed its concerns about other monuments, including the Taj Mahal, that are in line for being handed over to similar private parties.
In a statement, the body stated, "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."
Other historians argued that the monuments have been generating enough revenue which can be used for the monuments. They suspect that contract is heavily inclined in favour of the awardees which may get them significant revenue. According to PIB statement, the annual revenue for Red Fort in the year 2013-14 was 6,15,89,750.
Get the latest reports & analysis with people's perspective on Protests, movements & deep analytical videos, discussions of the current affairs in your Telegram app. Subscribe to NewsClick's Telegram channel & get Real-Time updates on stories, as they get published on our website.
