Can't blame Gautam Bhatia really (‘Bungle oh! There’s Amar Singh’s house’, IE, September 14). He is a typical forward-looking guy of Urban India, whose idea of Modern India is development at any cost. Many like him love to talk with an air of sarcasm and cynicism about archaic laws and wax eloquent on the hell-with-heritage-rules theme.All because most urban and very educated Indians look at our past with disdain, in fact with indifference. They mix up ‘‘archaeology’’ with ‘‘heritage’’ and are quite happy/indifferent that some faceless government babus in various offices of the Archaeological Survey of India across the country see to some monuments in the country. Never mind if they see them still crumbling and neglected during their tourist visits — hardly anyone is going to complain about it or even write a letter to the editor.And when it comes to heritage conservation — which in simple yet strict terms means conservation of structures within the city or town which showcase landmarks associated with important historical events, thus making them worthy of special care; which have aesthetic or architectural value and reflect a unique lifestyle or culture of the past; which are of social value, connoting the cultural or uniquely local significance of those places; which are associated with natural sites and sites of scenic beauty (it could include hills, lakes, rivers, etc) — there’s a problem in accepting the need for conservation. All because it becomes inconvenient to make any changes as per one’s whims and fancies. So, it often pinches to back heritage.In most developed countries, the link with the past is kept alive through stringent heritage conservation rules, through heritage structures, even if skyscrapers dominate the urban skyline and the city is technologically advanced. Singapore is a great example of this phenomenon — the Boat Quay neighbourhood in downtown Singapore, comprising elegantly styled cottages, has been carefully preserved.Why, nearer home in Pondicherry, the government in association with Italian and French experts has taken up a unique heritage conservation programme. Here, the great fusion of Indian and French architecture is being preserved — this includes entire lanes, not just isolated structures. Why, Mumbai’s entire Marine Drive area is called a precinct in heritage terms.How can you be proud about your culture and heritage if you don’t have links to your past? Heritage structures and precincts stand mute testimony and remind you of your back stories.
