Recently, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Union Tourism and Culture Ministry in collaboration with different State Governments have formed a scheme, known as “Adoption of Heritage Scheme”. It has several grand objectives.
The first and foremost is protect the historical monuments and living heritages of the country and manage them scientifically. These operations will be carried out through different adopters appointed by the Government of India in collaboration with the State Governments.
Now, these historical monuments are badly neglected.
The management of archaeological affairs is although a State subject, the main function of the Union Government is the overall supervision and care taking of the same. The general public should be informed on how much money is earned directly or indirectly from the tourism sector and how much is spent for maintenance of these cultural institutions.
Now, the question arises is why the Union Government and the private parities, basically business houses like Dalmia Bharat Groups, are interested to operate the heritage scheme. The business houses will get Income Tax rebates on the total expenditure made on maintenance and protection of these institutions of cultural values and side by side, the Government of India and the respective State Governments will be relieved of the burden of management of the institutions.
But there are apprehension of privatization of the historical monuments and heritage sites for profit-making. Since they are cultural institutions and are having academic values, no premium should be realised from the visitors and specifically, from the students and educationists. Now, the premiums are realised in exorbitant rates from the visitors to which the poor people have no access generally.
This is well and good that the corporate houses as well as the all types of business houses and organisations should carry out the social work. At the same time, research and development on all these heritage-based institutions should be carried out for the present and future. But it should not be profit-oriented.
Recently, the Central Government scheme for the first time was applied to the Red Fort in New Delhi and the Dalmia Bharat Group adopted the monument for conservation, protection and scientific management.
Further, another corporate sector is going to be assigned the conservation and management of four sites in Assam to which the people of Assam are protesting strongly. The Students Union of Assam has protested the privatisation of the archeological sites. It is said that the Kaziranga Sanctuary and National Park of the State is a pride of Assam, which cannot be allowed to be privatised.
The Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, Assam, is also strongly of the same opinion. The local politicians are also opposing such action of the Union Government. The Union Government and the State Government of Assam are defending the move and term all apprehensions as baseless.
The Union Government argues that the private parties which are engaged in these affairs will be under strict supervisions and carry out the infrastructural development of the tourism spots, including toilets, parking places, cafeterias and peripheral developments etc.
Now, the authorities in the Union as well as in State have understood that all public undertakings have failed due to internal mismanagement, mostly for corruptions. So the present Government in the Centre wants to get rid of this by appointing non-Government corporate houses for taking care of the old monuments.
In case of Odisha, as it is understood the Sun Temple, Konark, is decided to be handed over to private entrepreneurs like Dalmia Bharat Group for adoption of maintenance practices to which the locals of Sun Temple are objecting strongly. It is a fact that, the Sun Temple of Konark is highly neglected by the State Government as well as by the ASI and the Tourism and Cultural Ministries of India.
In every moment, there is sand erosion, from the sea side and the whole structure of the temple is prone to physical damage. The stabilisation of sands and sand-dunes are absolutely needed to prevent physical erosions of the monument.
So trees should be raised to protect the Sun Temple and its surroundings from wind waves of sea coast. The total Puri-Konark area of the sand ridden sea coast designated as a sanctuary for protection mainly of deer should be thoroughly protected and maintained. This is known as the Knoark –Balukhand Sanctuary.
The local public should be involved as caretakers, even if the adaptation formula of the Government is worked out. The corporate houses can succeed in their conservation plan only when they get adequate support from the public.
Other eco- tourism spots like the Similiplal Tiger Project, Chilika lagoon cum Nalabana Sanctuary, Bhitarkanika -Gahirmatha Sanctuary, Nadankanan Zoological Park, Rushikulya Sanctuary, Sunabeda Sanctuary, etc., also need equal attention and care from the Government.
We observed “the World Biodiversity Day” on May 22 and the Turtle Day on May 23. Similarly, the No Tobacco Day falls on May 31. The purposes of observing these days are to educate ourselves on nature and its conservations by correcting our bad practices and habits. Unless man’s motive is clean and nature- oriented, no amount of conservation measure from the Government can bring any change.
(The writer is a former forest officer and environmentalist, 9937460649 (M), Email: nadiya.kanungo@gmail.com)