In a first of its kind project in India, a corporate house has “adopted” one of the iconic historical monuments in the heart of capital Delhi.
On Saturday, the Ministry of Tourism signed a MoU with corporate giant Dalmia Bharat and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to adopt the iconic Red Fort monument in New Delhi and Gandikota Fort in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh under the government’s ‘Adopt a Heritage’ project.
Till now, 93 monuments have been identified by the ministry to be undertaken in the scheme.
Red Fort | Source: Wikimedia Commons
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So is the Red Fort a property of the corporate giant now?
The news took time to absorb. While many private citizens expressed concern over the involvement of a corporate entity with the maintenance of a historical monument, opposition parties took no time to corner the government. Of course, Twitter turned into a battleground.
Under the agreement, the corporate giant will spend a sum of Rs 25 crore on the “development, operations and maintenance of tourism amenities in and around Red Fort.”
Why can’t the Government even take care of our historic Lal Qila ? Red Fort is a symbol of our nation. It is where India’s flag is hoisted on Independence Day. Why should it be leased out ? Sad and dark day in our history
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) April 28, 2018
According to an Indian Express report, the corporate house, under the agreement, will take care of the maintenance of the 17th-century monument. Which basically means that they’ll take care of the daily tasks of cleaning, maintaining toilets, water, electricity, street furniture and managing the footfall of tourists. There will also be an app-based multi-lingual audio guide for tourists, free WiFi, a cafeteria and sound and light show etc. To make the monument accessible for the differently-abled, the group will also construct ramps for wheelchairs and have Braille signage.
Does it mean it will be expensive to visit the Red Fort now?
Not really, because as the government has clarified, the adoption is not for any profit. The agreement simply means that there will be many more facilities at the visitors’ disposal. There’ll be no increase in the charge of the tickets. The one new thing which you might find on your next visit maybe a plaque of Dalmia group fixed on the newly-built toilets and drinking facilities.
As the Minister of State for Tourism K J Alphons explained.
“The companies involved in these projects will only spend and not make money. They will create amenities such as toilets, provide drinking water for the tourists so that their footfalls increase. They might put up signs outside to say that they have developed the amenities. If they are spending money, there is nothing wrong in taking credit for it.”
Jawaharlal Nehru unfurls the National Flag at Red Fort | Photo: Google/Nehru Memorial Museum and Library
Then why is Dalmiya group ‘adopting’ the monument if there’s no profit?
The MoU “envisages limited ‘access’ of non-core areas and ‘no handing over of monument’ is involved….It is part of responsible tourism where the ‘Monument Mitra’ essentially spends his CSR funds for upkeep and maintenance etc., and gets limited visibility….no financial bid is involved,” the government said.
Put simply, the project aims to divert CSR funds of large corporations towards the maintenance of monuments. For the corporate house, it’s the signboards and other plaques at the monument will be visible to the visitors ie free publicity.
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Does this mean Dalmia group will now be able to hold private functions like marriages or other events at the Red Fort?
Even though the details of MoU signed between the government and Dalmia Group and ASI haven’t been made public, it’s highly unlikely that such a decision — to allow or disallow an event/function at the monument — falls under the purview of Dalmia Group. That decision only falls within the ambit of Archaeological Survey of India.
Other concerns…
Archaeologists and conservation experts have pointed out that the corporate’s intervention might prove detrimental to the monument “aesthetically” and people with “vested interests might rewrite the history.”
Red Fort | Photo: Wikipedia
“We need upgradation of facilities, so this model might work. We need to see how they’ll work on audio guides, who will do research and manage accuracy,” Swapna Liddle, convener of INTACH’s Delhi chapter, told The Indian Express.
“There is nothing wrong in a private entity using the heritage value of the cultural property to generate money. However, it should be done in a way that suits the spirit of the place and in a manner that doesn’t harm the heritage under question,” filmmaker and commentator Gautam Benegal wrote in an opinion piece in DailyO
(With PTI inputs)
