Yet another indication of Kolkata finally finding its bearing is manifest in KMC’s (Kolkata Municipal Corporation, or is it CMC, the Calcutta Municipal Corporation) decision to accord grading to the city’s heritage buildings. From shaming the colonial past during the heady days of 60s and 70s to conserving the magnificent edifices, Kolkata has indeed traversed a long winding path, putting behind times of failed idealism. It now occurs to us that for most part of it, history is something to be preserved, and not obliterated.
In today’s global world, or even otherwise, history belongs not only to those who live there, but also to everyone who is interested to enrich his or her knowledge about the past. That there is lot at stake is evident from the global outrage at the destruction of Bamyan Buddhas in Afghanistan in 2001. To our collective relief, an UNESCO-sponsored project to recreate the monumental statues at an estimated cost of USD 9 million is now gradually taking shape [more info’ here].
With that in perspective, it is only to be expected that our city’s guardians will wake up to the need of preserving its glorious (and not-so-glorious) past. According to KMC, the city has over 1500 heritage buildings. An expert committee is now grading them according to their legacy and importance in the eyes of history. Read The Telegraph story.
One hopes the day is near when Kolkata turns into a city of rich heritage for preservation and learning, instead of just being a city of joy.
National Library – edifices that do us proud! [Picture source]
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