Compare the past heritage and present heritage of India
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Jan. 22: Nayanjot Lahiri's talk as part of the Global Education Summit at the bicentennial celebrations at Presidency could not have come at a better time. Her lecture on "Archaeological Heritage at the Crossroads of Politics and People, Higher Education as a way forward", came at a time when the culture ministry has proposed that construction activities - "public works" funded by the Centre - should be allowed in the "prohibited area" around ancient monuments, including ones on the Unesco World Heritage list.
Lahiri's lecture focused on not just what imperils India's heritage and the efforts to conserve it, but also on the lesser-known history of defilement. The public discourse on Partition, for example, is centred on mass migration and violence. Few remember that heritage was also singed by the flames.
The assault on heritage in a newly independent India, Lahiri added, has often relied on the rhetoric of patriotism. She cited the proposal to remove the text and inscriptions on the Mutiny Memorial that described the mutineers as the "enemy". The monument lived to tell its tale, thanks to Indira Gandhi's intervention. The former Prime Minister suggested that an alternative narrative bearing the Indian side of the story of the Mutiny be created.
Antiquity has had to contend with fiscal constraints as well. For example, the British decided to abandon graves of colonial vintage for the lack of adequate funds.
Jawaharlal Nehru was instrumental behind the idea to frame rules concerning the creation of protection zones in front of monuments. Given challenges such as institutional apathy, lack of trained staff and minimal awareness, Lahiri posits faith on the convergence of environmental and conservation interests.