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
- Can you
name a few of Bangalore important heritage buildings?
- Has there
been any kind of movement to protect and conserve these historical structures?
- Does Bangalore
have any heritage precincts? How can they be protected?
- How can
people help the conservation process?
- What are
your thoughts on government policies towards heritage conservation? What
are the limitations of present policies?
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.
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!!
.
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.
Return Back to the Bangalorewalla 'Tips for Travellers' Page
Thank You for Your visit,
Safe Driving
to You, 'God's Speed' as the Old Timers say.
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.
Return to Bangalorewallas'
Homepage
2nd Anniversary
An Urgent
Bangalorewalla Request
My Collection of Christian Books that Influenced Me
My Collection of Christian Music that Influenced Me
The 7th
Anniversary Page
This Page Hosted by
Get Your Own Free Home Page
Thought for the Day :
" Blessed are you poor, For yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed
are you who hunger now, For you shall be filled. Blessed are you who
weep now, For you shall laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, And
when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,
For the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed
your reward is great in heaven, Fon in the manner their fathers did to
the prophets. But woe to you who are rich, For you have received your consolation.
Woe to you who are full, For you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now,
For you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you,
For so did they fathers to the false prophets."
Holy Bible: Luke 6:20-26