DEVELOPMENT vs HERITAGE – Does Anyone Care?
Upendra for TheDC
When the Brits designed Darjeeling, the town was meant to cater to a population of around 20,000 to 30,000 people. According to 2011 census currently 132,016 people live in the Darjeeling Urban area. This makes Darjeeling the most crowded mountain towns in the world, with a population density of roughly around 13500 people per square kilometer, Darjeeling is literally busting at the seams.
When the Brits developed Darjeeling, they did so as the climate and temperature here were perfect to help soldiers recuperate from their tiring military services. Even after the Brits left, Darjeeling retained its claim as the “Queen of the Hills.”
Sadly 68 years after the independence, the Queen is in tatters and no one cares.
Today, Darjeeling is like the drunkard wayward scion of a rich and illustrious family, selling off family heritage to continue financing its wayward ways.
When the Brits designed Darjeeling, the town was meant to cater to a population of around 20,000 to 30,000 people. According to 2011 census currently 132,016 people live in the Darjeeling Urban area. This makes Darjeeling the most crowded mountain towns in the world, with a population density of roughly around 13500 people per square kilometer, Darjeeling is literally busting at the seams.
When the Brits developed Darjeeling, they did so as the climate and temperature here were perfect to help soldiers recuperate from their tiring military services. Even after the Brits left, Darjeeling retained its claim as the “Queen of the Hills.”
Sadly 68 years after the independence, the Queen is in tatters and no one cares.
Today, Darjeeling is like the drunkard wayward scion of a rich and illustrious family, selling off family heritage to continue financing its wayward ways.
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| 100 years old Hotel Mt Everest Darjeeling |
While the rest of the world takes pains to protect its heritage, we seem to be in a rush to break down our rich legacy and build multiplexes. Since Independence not ONE building of repute (outstanding architecture) has been built in Darjeeling, but hundreds of beautiful buildings that the Brits built have been demolished to make room for shoe-box structures. Stop Demolition of Hotel Mt Everest Darjeeling
Mr. B M Garg and his business partners who bought the iconic Mt. Everest Hotel have expressed their plans to break the building apart and build a housing complex and hotel in its place. That is another heritage which we are set to lose. Hotel Mt. Everest was inaugurated on the 12th of October, 1915 and the proprietor was Mr. A. Stephen and designed by Mr. Stephen Wilkinson – Architect. But what’s 100 years when you can make 100 crores by developing it?
The Development Argument
While many care about the Heritage of our place, most don’t. I was shocked recently when someone wrote, “time to remove the toy train from Darjeeling, takes up too much space and the smoke pollutes our place,” so I asked him how about removing thousands of vehicles that pollute 1000 times as much? He didn’t reply.
Some people have argued that when a housing complex and a new hotel is built, it will allow for employment opportunities for the locals.
I don’t disagree…
But at the same time, I also cannot help but point out a simple fact that employment can also be generated by declaring the property a Heritage Hotel and renovating it, instead of completely taking it apart.
Moreover in the name of “development” Bengal has already ruined our rivers Teesta and Rangeet, in the name of Development earlier DGHC and now GTA have already ruined each and every part of our hills… how long will we continue to let this happen?
Fact of the Matter
Fact of the matter is that the land on which Mt. Everest Hotel stands did not belong to the EHI Group which recently sold the hotel, so this whole deal is murky and chances that those in power will get lots of money to mutate the land in favour of Mr. B M Garg is very high.
When recently we raised the issue of Red Cross chopping down trees in its premises, Mr. Bharat Prakash Rai of the FOSEP (whose office is in Red Cross building) questioned our sincerity. He asked us where were those people (Us and those concerned with the chopping down of trees) when trees in Chowrasta was being cut. Earlier Mr. Enos Das Pradhan had also questioned our sincerity when we coordinated the #SaveChowrasta protests, even he had wondered where were we when trees in Chowrasta were being cut. To both the gentlemen here is our answer – TheDC was yet to be formed, however you guys were there, so no thanks for not preventing the cutting down of trees in Chowrasta…
However, here is a chance to redeem ourselves – can we all work together, united to save one of the most iconic heritages of Darjeeling from being razed to the ground?
Rootless People
Any community which does not care for his history is bound to suffer in the future. Our ancestors never bothered to record our history, because of which today we are called “foreigners” in our own land, by those who actually came to India after 1971. The fault is not theirs, its ours, we never bothered to contest their claims.
100 years from today when our future generations will want to assert their connection to these lands, chances are that, they will be called “foreigners” and asked to either prove their connection or leave – don’t think its farfetched in Assam and Manipur it is happening already – when that time comes, our people won’t have anything to show that belongs to them… for our heritage and historical connection to the land would have been razed to the grounds by those with money, ably supported by morons who are currently in power.
Who Needs to Act
I am not sure if we can stop this madness, however here are the people/authorities who can do so
1. Darjeeling Municipality
2. Darjeeling land and land reforms department
3. District Magistrate
4. Gorkhaland Territorial Administration
Please write to the people who occupy important positions in these organizations, tell them to protect our heritage.
May be, just may be if we all speak out together someone may listen.
A community of activists have veen formed to try and save Darjeeling Heritage... please join the page and extend your support:https://www.facebook.com/hotelmteverestpetition
To sign an online petition please visit: http://chn.ge/1IPQzGp
All pics showing closeup and interior of the hotel taken from: The Forgotten Hotel in Darjeeling http://bit.ly/1W9wlkU
Mr. B M Garg and his business partners who bought the iconic Mt. Everest Hotel have expressed their plans to break the building apart and build a housing complex and hotel in its place. That is another heritage which we are set to lose. Hotel Mt. Everest was inaugurated on the 12th of October, 1915 and the proprietor was Mr. A. Stephen and designed by Mr. Stephen Wilkinson – Architect. But what’s 100 years when you can make 100 crores by developing it?
The Development Argument
While many care about the Heritage of our place, most don’t. I was shocked recently when someone wrote, “time to remove the toy train from Darjeeling, takes up too much space and the smoke pollutes our place,” so I asked him how about removing thousands of vehicles that pollute 1000 times as much? He didn’t reply.
Some people have argued that when a housing complex and a new hotel is built, it will allow for employment opportunities for the locals.
I don’t disagree…
But at the same time, I also cannot help but point out a simple fact that employment can also be generated by declaring the property a Heritage Hotel and renovating it, instead of completely taking it apart.
Moreover in the name of “development” Bengal has already ruined our rivers Teesta and Rangeet, in the name of Development earlier DGHC and now GTA have already ruined each and every part of our hills… how long will we continue to let this happen?
Fact of the Matter
Fact of the matter is that the land on which Mt. Everest Hotel stands did not belong to the EHI Group which recently sold the hotel, so this whole deal is murky and chances that those in power will get lots of money to mutate the land in favour of Mr. B M Garg is very high.
When recently we raised the issue of Red Cross chopping down trees in its premises, Mr. Bharat Prakash Rai of the FOSEP (whose office is in Red Cross building) questioned our sincerity. He asked us where were those people (Us and those concerned with the chopping down of trees) when trees in Chowrasta was being cut. Earlier Mr. Enos Das Pradhan had also questioned our sincerity when we coordinated the #SaveChowrasta protests, even he had wondered where were we when trees in Chowrasta were being cut. To both the gentlemen here is our answer – TheDC was yet to be formed, however you guys were there, so no thanks for not preventing the cutting down of trees in Chowrasta…
However, here is a chance to redeem ourselves – can we all work together, united to save one of the most iconic heritages of Darjeeling from being razed to the ground?
Rootless People
Any community which does not care for his history is bound to suffer in the future. Our ancestors never bothered to record our history, because of which today we are called “foreigners” in our own land, by those who actually came to India after 1971. The fault is not theirs, its ours, we never bothered to contest their claims.
100 years from today when our future generations will want to assert their connection to these lands, chances are that, they will be called “foreigners” and asked to either prove their connection or leave – don’t think its farfetched in Assam and Manipur it is happening already – when that time comes, our people won’t have anything to show that belongs to them… for our heritage and historical connection to the land would have been razed to the grounds by those with money, ably supported by morons who are currently in power.
Who Needs to Act
I am not sure if we can stop this madness, however here are the people/authorities who can do so
1. Darjeeling Municipality
2. Darjeeling land and land reforms department
3. District Magistrate
4. Gorkhaland Territorial Administration
Please write to the people who occupy important positions in these organizations, tell them to protect our heritage.
May be, just may be if we all speak out together someone may listen.
A community of activists have veen formed to try and save Darjeeling Heritage... please join the page and extend your support:https://www.facebook.com/hotelmteverestpetition
To sign an online petition please visit: http://chn.ge/1IPQzGp
All pics showing closeup and interior of the hotel taken from: The Forgotten Hotel in Darjeeling http://bit.ly/1W9wlkU
Source- TheDC
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