Mail received: on 27th March 2004, from Ms. Prathima Manohar, Reporter , Times of India, Bangalore.
 
Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2004 12:25:42 +0000
From: prathima <prathima46@rediffmail.com>
Subject: Times of India: interview
To: ronniejohnson@vsnl.net  
Dear Sir,
I am working on a story on heritage conservation  I would be grateful if you could share 
some of your thoughts with our readers. I have sent across a few questions.
Regards,
Prathima Manohar

Mail Reply Sent:  to Prathima Maniohar on 28 March 2004,

Dear Prathima Manohar ,

While answering your questions, I need to bring to your notice that I have tried to be positive in my approach for the betterment of Bangalore,  and I am sure you would appreciate it if I say that using partial 'quotes' from my answers would not bring out the proper context to what I am saying, also it can at times even have the opposite effect to the truth. If you are truely committed in your 'story' on conservation, then you would have to bring out the full text, sorry it may be long, but then it covers a rather large span of our history in a paragraph of time.

cheers
Ronnie Johnson
Researcher - Bangalorewalla


•    Can you name a few of Bangalore’s important heritage buildings?
When we talk of  'Heritage' we sometimes get overlapped by 'archaeological' or 'historical' heritage and the 'century' heritage. The former is normally put in the range of buildings, objects  or edifices or over 200 years ago, and the later, within  200 years, the 'Golden Age of architectural elegance' as the late Kora Chandy wrote in his article 'Stately Homes and Memories of Old Bangalore' for the late T.P. Issar's book City Beautiful.. Nothing is really put down as the dividing factor, but when it comes to 'conservation', then the difference is obvious. If we have to name a few of the buildings that fall into the former, then we could name the 'Fort' and 'Tippu's Palace' and other similar constructions in City Market. We would have to consider all the monuments put up by Kempugowda around the city, and all the old temples beyond the 200 year period, and most of these buildings would be found in the City Area. Looking at the buildings that come within the 200 year period that have not been mutilated and most of which are found in the Cantonment, we have a few left like the Government Museum in Cubbon Park, Attara Kacheri, Glass House, Register of Co-operative Societies, Palace Hotel on Ali Asker Road, then we have  Balabrooie, Greaves Cotton office, Manickvelu Mansion, on Palace Road; Mayo Hall, Arts and Crafts (MG Rd, whatever is left), Poornaiah (P.O. Sorting Office, Race Course Road), Government Arts and Science College, Central College, State Bank of India GM's Residence, West End Hotel, New Opera, Khaleel Building (MG Road), Higginbothams (MG Rd), Plaza Theater (MG Rd), St. Joseph's College (Residency Rd), Oriental Building (MG Rd), LIC & George Oaks Buildings (JC Rd), State Bank of Mysore, Govt. Law College, Daly Memorial Hall, Revenue Survey Offices, New Public Offices, (Nrupathunga Rd), Kamala Girls' High School, Mitralaya Girls' High School,  Lady Jehangir Kothari Memorial Hall, St. Martha's Hospital, Bowring, Victoria, Vani Vilas and Minto Hospitals, Kumara Krupa, Seshadri Iyer Memorial Hall (Central Library Cubbon Park), Burnside, Mysore Tobacco,  (Richmond Rd), Central Jail. There are so many buildings that need to be preserved and remembered in Malleswaram, Basavangudi and Chamrajpet areas. One particular building is located at the junction of Minevera - Lalbagh - Kaliaspalayam roads, a neglected house that would make Cash Pharmacy look pale.

•    Has there been any kind of movement to protect and conserve these historical structures?
There are basically to my knowledge two groups, one the Archaeological Society of India and the other the so called Bangalore Urban Art Commission if it still exists. Movement there was, but protecting and conserving, I cannot be sure on that point. If there are other groups, they they have not publicly come forward and done something for Bangalore, preserving her past. The BATF is too young and spread-eagled with their priorities. ASI has tried to preserve the  Fort in the City, but apparently there is no proper co-ordination between the Tourism Ministry and the 'heritage' protectors ASI, else the number of visitors to the Fort would have increased and funds would go to help preserve the same.

•    Does Bangalore have any heritage precincts? How can they be protected?
Bangalore is losing it's 'Colonial' image, although one may say that we have to give way to 'progress', surely yes, but at what expense, the heritage of a city? The environment of a city? The culture of a city? The architecture of a city? The memories of a city? There are very few people who have personally come forward to cry hoarse their fears of Bangalore losing her past. Two of the main people are Admiral O.S. Dawson who has been trying over the last 7 years to preserve the famous Agram Cemetery off MG - Richmond Road, and Suresh Moona, who started AARAMBH just for the purpose of encouraging people to be more sensitive towards the past 'heritage' of Bangalore. Some of the other main players are no more. For example the Agram Cemetery, a 200 year 5 acre Cemetery, having a fantastic assortment of architecture influences, neglected and forgotten because of it's location on Defence Land on Lower Agram Road, can be preserved by lifting of Government and People's apathy. The cemetery has survived because it was 'protected', but at the same time also has had it's share of vandalism.

•    How can people help the conservation process?
First we need to educate people on the values of 'historical' architectural influences, and perhaps even go down to the grass roots of encouraging our children to do 'projects' on the city of Bangalore, and as part of this project, they will discover that there is also beautiful buildings of the past that are more pleasant and happier than the glass monstrosities we are finding coming around the city. Architecture Colleges need to revise their syllabus and make a viable project on the 'architectural heritage and conservation of Bangalore', then perhaps and maybe people will become aware of the importance of the beauty and environment of old houses to the city of Bangalore.

•    What are your thoughts on government’s policies towards heritage conservation? What are the limitations of present policies?
I am afraid I am not an expert to comment on the Governments' 'heritage' policies, but I do see a limitation on their output. So far there has been no real move to protect and establish a proper guideline to the public on what is termed 'heritage' and what is not. People are so frightened by 'government policies' that they will not come forward to be part of these policies and make any changes effective. An example in the past has been the 'Rent Control Act' which has really brought down a lot of old buildings in haste and purposeful neglect by the landlords in a move to get rid of the tenants. Who can blame them? What the Government should do is to get a new look at what ever is left in Bangalore of buildings and monuments, and come out publicly with a policy of support to those buildings that are covered by the policy. In reality any building that is over 75 years would be ideal to fall into the 'heritage' period. But, it is imperative that if these buildings have to  be kept for 'heritage' purposes then they must be protected, by financial subsidies from the Government, tax deductions, certain exemptions that encourage the owners to allow these buildings to be part of Bangalore's Heritage. Not all buildings that are over 75 years need or can be considered to be heritage fodder, but at same time they should be 'Registered' under a 'heritage act' and permitted to be destructed if they are no 'heritage value' to the city (if the documents of the Corporation are computerised, then this would not be a problem, however, physically available buildings would be hard to find, especially when the old compounds have be subdivided and site numbers have been renumbered). It is also necessary to have a gazetted  rule that every old building beyond 75 years needs by law to be documented and photographed for prosperity before they are raised to the ground. This will help preserve the past architecture and environment ambiance of Bangalore. It is also important that if a building is marked off as 'heritage' then there should be no constructions allowed to be made around it that will over shadow it like the Manickvelu Mansion on Palace Road, as it defeats the purpose of preserving the building for heritage. If there were clear cut, publicly encouraging effective reality Government policies existing, then builders would not be frenzied into hastily  bringing down every old building around Bangalore turning her into a glass house of steel and odd shapes, and also because of the high rise, the biggest problem would be solved that of  ground water resources depleted . Also if the 'heritage' of the City of Bangalore is to be maintained, then the haphazard  'road renaming' has to be stopped immediately, when there are so many new layouts that can have any number of roads 'named' why should historically named roads that been around for a century be changed, and then, not even in alignment to the area.
This is what was actually published in Times Of India, Times Property Supplement, On April 2nd, 2004 under the caption,
" Conservation and Development' :   Page 1 and Continued Page 3 .
An after thought occurred to me ...  Why is Bangalore's Heritage so filled with apathy? Why are there no legislations that help preserve it, made known to the Public? Does the booming 'Real Estate' of Bangalore have anything to do with the diminishing wealth of Bangalore's Heritage? Are they blocking 'heritage' in the name of 'progress'? Why has no 'builder' or 'promoter'  of Real Estate come forward to take up the maintenance of any 'heritage' site of Bangalore? Why are the large 'Software' & 'BPO' houses and MMC's not coming forwarded to support the heritage of Bangalore, but instead go for 'projects' outside Bangalore? Everyone wants to 'use'; Bangalore for their ends, but nobody want's to give her anything back! Is this true? Someone please say that I am wrong? These thoughts and many more make me feel so uncomfortable about the whole issue, that the future for Bangalore's Heritage looks very bleak, unless something drastic happens. Unless you 'get up, stand up' and send a mail in to the newspapers about why and how you feel, and suggestions on how to go about it to save Bangalore's Heritage. You may please mail me a copy of any attempt you may make in this endeavor, so that I can also publish it on the web incase it is not published else where. Churches should also come under 'heritage' but they have their own Management that looks after the maintenance of them results are sometimes good and sometimes less desirable an effect by doing so.
Here are some articles on 'Heritage' found on the Net that you may find interesting and strange, mainly from a certain newspaper!! .
  " Heritage buildings vanish as Bangalore goes hi-tech" Janaki Murali's article in 'The Hindu' Business Line, Saturday, 16 March 2002 .  This is what the Chief Minister says about Heritage :  "Heritage buildings will not be razed, says Krishna" -
Online edition of The Hindu, Wednesday, Feb 11, 2004. Heritage Building orphaned in City, Friday October 19, 2001 - Divya Sreedharan, The Hindu. Wither Bangalore's Manners? - Debarshi Dasgupta, New Bangalore Online.
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The Bangalorewalla, Ronnie Johnson
You may email me at ronniejohnson@hotmail.com or ronniejohnson@vsnl.net if you have anything on Bangalore that you would like to share, and I will try to add to this page, no promises, but I will try.

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