A Tale of Two Historic Sites

Root of the Problem in Indian Heritage

In the blazing summer of 2020 in India, I saw a sight that would have amazed even the most jaded minds. Standing before me lay a formidable sandstone cliff overlooking a lake with all the drama of a historic cinematic set. Except this wasn’t the Wild West or a Lost kingdom in South America. It was the interiors of Rural Southern India in the Bagalkot region in Karnataka. Ancient Caves were cut into these cliffs in angles so baffling it seemed nothing short of pure genius. Adorning the cave were carvings of Deities and Gods, built into the walls, seeming so intricate it seemed almost impossible that any mere mortal could be capable of such a feat. Badami was 1500 years old

A year I found myself in the chilly UK spring of 2021 in a place that looked surprisingly similar. In the Northern Fringes of Yorkshire, England the town of Knaresborough stood nestled against a river canyon with a towering 19th century bridge dominating the town’s skyline,. Knaresborough was a medieval town with a riverine charm and a promenade that went along the river and into the hills. It was a charming town, resembling a Sailor’s Hamlet despite it being away from the sea. Knaresborough was 500 years old

Both sites tell us a different story. One a cradle of ancient civilization was shoddy, unclean, polluted, ill-kept, and congested. The other true to its history and roots had managed to keep up its appearance and was kept clean with well-laid footpaths and houses kept up with such care by inhabitants that they seemed perfectly aligned with the rest of the landscape. Roughly similar in their terrain, the contrast between the two places seems shocking.

Heritage is often a neglected area in India for many reasons. Often the case is made that the country is a growing one with an unending appetite for land, resources, and buildings and that any attention paid to heritage is a distraction from major priorities like food, housing, and employment. A lack of funding from the central government and a lack of enforcement of rules is also blamed for the poor state of the country’s heritage. However, such an argument completely overlooks the fact that similarly, densely populated countries in South-East Asia have a thriving tourism industry. With a diversity of Natural and Historic Landscapes, that would in many ways potentially be the envy of any other country, the tourism potential is limitless. However, keeping aside all the above factors the case of the two towns in different corners of the world underlines a critical issue; the Role of Local Initiative in driving heritage conservation.

Local Initiative is not meant merely the power of Local Citizens but also the Power of Local Bodies to make rules and carry out measures that will improve the quality and integrity of Local heritage and City Life. Beyond the question of Heritage comes the basic question of the Capacity of Local Bodies to manage Local Settlements in the interest of citizens and economic development. In a country, where Local Bodies are provided almost no power and funding by State and Central Governments, the ability of Local Bodies to collect Local Taxes and implement developmental and other projects is severely constrained. Contrast this with the U.K where Local Councils, despite receiving funding from the Central Government also have the power to impose a tax on Local Citizens to fund Public works. This combined with other taxes imposed only by Local Authorities include the Business Rate Tax (on Commercial Properties) provides the Local Government considerable power and agency to execute public works. Often Heritage Conservation Efforts can be implemented only if Local Authorities have adequate administrative power and financial means to implement them. England’s chief Heritage Conservation Authority, the Heritage Conservation Trust is a Non-Public Departmental Public Authority that is part of the government but carries out public works largely free of State interference. While a part of its funding comes from the Central Government, the agency, a large part of it is also derived from its’s historic properties, membership fees, fund-raising, and donations by citizens. Even if one argues that the agency is still dependent on funding from the Central Government, in terms of its Administrative Agency it still has significant independence from the Government. The issue becomes all the more apparent in the area of Heritage. The Central Government’s Ministry of Culture maintains most of India’s Cultural Heritage and is very much a part of the country’s federal Government, unlike England’s Heritage Conservation Trust. Badami as a Heritage site maintained through HRIDAY (Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana) Scheme which is entirely funded by the Central Government, with no participation of or funding by Local Authorities and Citizens. This puts absolute power in the Central Government to implement initiatives as per its whims.

It then becomes abundantly clear that underlying the matter of Heritage Conservation lies far deeper priorities of Local Governance and Citizen Participation which are often indicators of a strong and healthy democracy. The matter of Heritage Conservation then becomes a prism through which larger questions of Community, Local Initiative, and Public Participation in Political Life come to the fore. In its essence, heritage is more than that which is built, but also what is embodied in the minds and souls of citizens. Badami as an ancient site holds spiritual and national significance to tourists who flock to the site admire its splendid Art and natural beauty. To conserve our heritage then becomes a task to preserve our consciousness as a culture, people, and country.