Corporate conservation

THE TAJ MAHAL has now found a new saviour. The Tatas have agreed to spend Rs. 1.87 crores initially to preserve it and improve its environs. Shah Jahan's legacy of love might have decayed and died had it not been for the crusade of a single man, the lawyer, Mr. M. C. Mehta, whose public interest litigation saw the end to offensive pollution largely by the Mathura Refinery and the innumerable factories in and around Agra. Both Mr. Mehta and now the Tatas have merely reaffirmed the view that India's priceless heritage cannot survive solely on Government dole. Corporate or private sponsorship, strengthened by an informed public opinion, is important for conservation. Often, funding is not thought of because the historic and cultural value of an edifice remains unknown, and there are thousands of such monuments all over the country which are in danger of being lost. Although the Tatas are not the first to have stepped in - the Oberois, the Agha Khan Foundation and the Indian Oil Corporation among some others have contributed to the upkeep of Humayun's Tomb, the Sun Temple, the Qutab Minar and the like - the trend now appears to be picking up, broadly indicating a desire among individuals and private firms to set aside a percentage of their earnings and profits for their society.

However, money alone cannot be the magic mantra. Let us take the Taj as an example. More than 20,000 tourists trample upon it, day in and day out. Their sweat and screams have been ruining its very foundations. Marble is cracking, flagstones are sinking, and the delicate inlay work is coming apart.The walls are tortured by inscriptions that youngsters scratch in the hope that they would also be as immortal as the Mughal king and his beloved Mumtaz. Surely, crowds need to be regulated there if the latest efforts by the Tatas are to bear fruit. At Hampi, the culprit is the administration itself, which has, despite a stern warning by UNESCO, gone ahead and almost built two bridges. These not only cut across the ruins of the great Vijayanagar empire, but will lead to increasing toxicity in the air once traffic begins moving on one of them. The other is a footbridge. Corporates may not have been as ruthless, but they have been careless, cementing out architectural details, painting stone sculptures and indulging in other types of unpardonable misdemeanors.

Saving history is by no means a simple task. It calls for expertise, imagination and a sense of commitment. When the Government floated the National Cultural Fund in 1996, the idea was to confine corporate involvement to funding. It is, of course, welcome that the participation has gone beyond mere monetary contribution. But, the Archaeological Survey of India must fight the temptation to adopt a hands-off policy. It must retain with itself the right to supervise conservation or preservation as also the ultimate power to decide on the steps for such activity. Understandably, private companies are suspicious of an administration telling them what to do with their money, but one must realise that the ASI, for instance, still boasts of renowned experts. The best results, therefore, can be achieved if the Government and corporates work together. Our national heritage is too precious to be left in the sole care of one who may have the resources, even the inclination, but not the technical qualification for such a pursuit.

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