Heritage conservation and commemoration can work simultaneously, using reversible, non-invasive methods
The plaque installed outside the vigilance office at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus; (right) This space was set aside for two printing offices, as per pencil drawings by CSMT’s architect Frederick William Stevens. Pics/Rajendra B Aklekar
The newly opened vigilance department office on the ground floor of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) has been inaugurated with a metal plaque bearing the name of the outgoing general manager. This has been hammered right into the walls of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. His predecessor, too, had left behind a similar mark. A new toilet for staff has also been built in a corner of the building, all significant alterations causing permanent damage to the heritage facade of the building. Additionally, while setting up the office for the vigilance department on the ground floor, irreversible changes have been made to the iconic building. The old and historic mezzanine floor and the spiral staircase have been demolished and removed, and the entire chamber has been upgraded with central air conditioning.
A mid-day report also cited old-timers at CSMT saying that when breaking down the old office, many original assets, such as spiral staircases and a mechanical pulley system, were brutally cut with gas cutters and discarded. Heritage conservation and commemoration can work simultaneously, using reversible, non-invasive methods. Hammering in plaques and defiling walls of heritage buildings through irreversible methods that leave marks are criminal.
Even alterations within or outside should not be allowed except under the most stringent supervision. History and heritage give character to a city; repairs and restoration may be allowed, but always with experts, keeping aesthetics in mind. What is the use of pointing fingers at spitting and vandalism such as graffiti on our monuments, when authorities themselves are literally poking holes by hammering and drilling into our heritage? What example are they setting, and what can you expect from others?
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