Monumental neglect
7 May 2012 3:00 AM GMT
It Is a matter of shame that the Mehrauli archaeological park near the Qutab Minar has been subjected to utter neglect, so much so that it has become a dumpyard. Its plight is such and its neglect by the authorities so much that the local residents have been moved to attempt to clean it themselves. The site in question is spread over 100 acres and has over 80 historically significant monuments, extending from the early 11th century to the late Mughal period. Amongst the ruins are to be found the Jamali Kamali mosque and Balban’s tomb. Monuments of such importance are more than worthy of preservation.
This is too large an area and the monuments too important to have been ignored in this way. There is obviously no way that local enterprise by a few civic and history concious residents can replace the professional ministrations that a park of such historicity and size demands. This shows an attitude of callousness by the authorities which have been placed in charge of the maintenance of this historical park. It is extremely unfortunate that an administrative tussle among the Delhi Development Authority, the Archaeological Survey of India and Delhi’s department of archaeology has been made an excuse to allow interest in the preservation of these monuments to lapse, turning the entire area into a wasteland.
There can be absolutely no excuse for such neglect by these authorities. This is happening at a time when the government is busy trying to sell India as a tourist destination and to more than double the footprint of tourists in the country. It is not just a question of preserving sites like these for the attraction to tourists, though this is also a worthy reason. Delhi is fortunate as a city to have a certain amount of historical continuity, much like the city of Rome, and has had a pattern of human settlements for thousands of years. It has been an important crossroads, the capital of India and the site of at least seven historical cities. Each of these cities has left behind a legacy of monuments and cultural artifacts.
Though invaluable as a tourist attraction, allowing India to showcase its past, these monuments and cultural artifacts also serve a larger purpose. They allow India and Indians to stay connected to their cultural and historical legacy. They allow historians and other scholars to put together the mosaic that India was in the past, which is invaluabe to understand the present. Any culture or civilisation that allows the wilful destruction of its past does so at its own peril. It is barbaric to allow these valuable monuments to degenerate. It is to be hoped that the authorities take immediate corrective action and ensure the preservation of this archaeological park.
This is too large an area and the monuments too important to have been ignored in this way. There is obviously no way that local enterprise by a few civic and history concious residents can replace the professional ministrations that a park of such historicity and size demands. This shows an attitude of callousness by the authorities which have been placed in charge of the maintenance of this historical park. It is extremely unfortunate that an administrative tussle among the Delhi Development Authority, the Archaeological Survey of India and Delhi’s department of archaeology has been made an excuse to allow interest in the preservation of these monuments to lapse, turning the entire area into a wasteland.
There can be absolutely no excuse for such neglect by these authorities. This is happening at a time when the government is busy trying to sell India as a tourist destination and to more than double the footprint of tourists in the country. It is not just a question of preserving sites like these for the attraction to tourists, though this is also a worthy reason. Delhi is fortunate as a city to have a certain amount of historical continuity, much like the city of Rome, and has had a pattern of human settlements for thousands of years. It has been an important crossroads, the capital of India and the site of at least seven historical cities. Each of these cities has left behind a legacy of monuments and cultural artifacts.
Though invaluable as a tourist attraction, allowing India to showcase its past, these monuments and cultural artifacts also serve a larger purpose. They allow India and Indians to stay connected to their cultural and historical legacy. They allow historians and other scholars to put together the mosaic that India was in the past, which is invaluabe to understand the present. Any culture or civilisation that allows the wilful destruction of its past does so at its own peril. It is barbaric to allow these valuable monuments to degenerate. It is to be hoped that the authorities take immediate corrective action and ensure the preservation of this archaeological park.
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