On a quiet Sunday evening this August, a group of citizens came together in this erstwhile British India capital to begin an effort to restore the grandeur of its Raj era buildings and to preserve what's left of a heritage bequeathed by its former rulers who left 60 years ago.

The few mediapersons apart, the congregation at the sprawling premises of the city's St John's Church at downtown Dalhousie comprised only some concerned citizens and conservationists. But the small function to unveil a plaque marked the beginning of a process to restore the imposing building's façade and underscored growing concerns of people who are fighting bureaucratic and economic hurdles to protect a piece of the British past for the future.

Sixty years after independence, the gathering assumes significance because for decades British buildings in India, especially Kolkata, were either torn down for ugly utilitarian eyesores or left to die a natural death.  

Pakistani cricketer Imran Khan had once rued during a visit how the city of palaces was neglectful of its Raj buildings.

But things could be changing.

According to Kolkata mayor Bikash Bhattacharya, 1,300 structures have been identified in Kolkata as heritage buildings and efforts are on to restore them.

The restoration work of St. John's Church at Dalhousie, beside which lies the graveyard of Job Charnock, the founder of Kolkata, is heartening as it is one among the first public buildings constructed by the East India Company in 1787.

Hidden behind walls, few are aware that St. John's Church is the first Anglican Church of India and was designed after London's popular St. Martin-in-the-Fields church, said to be the most beautiful in the world.

"We have started the restoration work and would bring back its original fabric. Restoration is always difficult but we have started the process. St. Thomas Church on Free School Street is being restored as well," said Kevin R. Roberts, treasurer of the diocese of Calcutta.

Added Manish Chakraborty, conservation architect who has founded the ARCH (Center for Action Research in Conservation of Heritage) and now spearheads the change of attitude towards heritage buildings: "To say that Kolkata does not care for its heritage is too sweeping a statement. I have seen that even in Rajasthan the authorities are extremely callous."

"The neglect that you see is typical of any developing country and Kolkata is no exception."

A walk down the streets of Kolkata shows up a city with jarring images of slums, colonial edifices, modern day swanky malls and defaced walls. But the heart is filled with both hope and despair now from no hope at all a few years ago.

Hope floats with developments like the World Monument Fund recognising the city's unique heritage thanks to efforts of bodies like ARCH.

The 2.5 km Dalhousie Square area in the heart of Kolkata with its colonial buildings was listed as one of the 100 endangered sites by the World Monument Fund (WMF) for 2004-06.

Dalhousie Square, which also nurtures the red imposing Writers' Buildings, the seat of communist power now for three decades, was the bustling epicentre of English colonial power and trade during the two centuries that the city served as capital of India under British rule.

Despite these positive steps, more than 50 Dalhousie Square buildings landmarked by the government of West Bengal remain in very poor condition. Lack of maintenance, natural weathering, and a shortage of funds have combined to threaten the urban site.

"A lot of our hope hinges on Dalhousie Square restoration. It will show the way for preservation of other heritage sites and buildings," said Manish Chakraborty.

Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) state convenor G.M. Kapur added: "Today we can say that the government is serious about protecting the British heritage."

The government, he said, has realised that besides aesthetic values, heritage buildings also have economic value. "They are good to promote tourism and even the investors like to come and put in their money in a city which looks aesthetically appealing."

The efforts at restoration, however, are often not as determined as elsewhere in the world where tall modern towers have not sprouted at the expense of architectural legacy.

Take, for example, the magnificent Metropolitan Building at the Esplanade, which is now owned by the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC).

After years of neglect, restoration work began in 2003. But the process is extremely slow. The makeover of the Metropolitan Building from a monument of decay and neglect to the jewel in the crown of Esplanade (or Chowringhee) is far from over.

"The restoration of the likes of Metropolitan Building to their original magnificence is not an easy job. The Metropolitan makeover is taking time because there are not enough masons available who know lime masonry," said Kapur.

What is pitiful, he said, is that the neglect of years, the real estate boom and pressure on land has also led to some of the city's streets losing their old identity.

A classic example is the city's most happening street, Elgin Road. Today's fun street with bookstores, shopping malls and other joints has changed completely, except for a few buildings like Netaji Bhavan, the house where Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose lived.

Help to protect the heritage is pouring in from the erstwhile rulers as well. A five-member delegation of the UK Heritage and Rejuvenation Mission in March this year has shown interest in refurbishing the Hooghly riverfront and warehouses along the river here.

"With the refurbishment of old warehouses, which are lying in a crumbling and defunct state along the Hooghly (the Ganges), the city will get a completely new look. If these warehouses undergo proper restoration work it can help develop a sustainable economic rejuvenation of the city," said British Deputy High Commissioner Simon Wilson.   

August 14, 2007

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