UNESCO World Heritage Status for Khangchendzonga/Kanchenjunga National park Sikkim

9:44 PM

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Sikkim

Sikkim Gangtok 17th July 2016: Congratulations to The Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Culture, Govt of India and the Govt of Sikkim for successfully ushering in Khangchendzonga (Kanchenjunga) National park as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

World Heritage Sites fall under three categories: cultural, natural and mixed. These sites are a legacy from the past, what we live with today and what we pass on to future generations as irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration, as stated by UNESCO. Presently there are more than 1,031 World Heritage sites, of which 802 are cultural, 197 natural and 32 mixed. India has 32 sites: 25 cultural and seven natural.

India's two ministries, MoEFCC through its Wildlife Institute and the Ministry of Culture through its World Heritage advisory body proposed, that Khangchendzonga National Park be inscribed under the mixed category.

UNESCO World Heritage Status for Khangchendzonga/Kanchenjunga  National park Sikkim

This category is meant for sites that are an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement living sustainably with ecosystems, with treasure of invaluable traditional knowledge and culture that highlights human interaction with the environment. Such heritage sites have the sort of intangible features that provide an encyclopedia of lessons for vulnerable communities under change of ecosystems. Such lessons are of immense value today when we are faced with the challenge of climate change.

Situated in the eastern Indian state of Sikkim, Khangchendzonga National Park exhibits one of the widest altitudinal ranges of any protected area worldwide and occupies a third of the state's area.

Mount Khangchendzonga and park around are endowed with deep cultural meanings and sacred significance. The multi-layered landscape of Khangchendzonga is sacred to both Buddhists and Lepchas as Mayel Lyang. The expanse represents a unique example of co-existence and exchange between different religious traditions and ethnicities, constituting the base for Sikkimese identity and unity.

The ensemble of sacred texts, the still-performed rituals, the oral history and traditional practices around Mount Khangchendzonga - third highest peak in the world - strengthen human bonds with nature. It conveys and manifests the cultural meanings projected onto natural resources and the indigenous and specific Buddhist cosmogony that developed in the Himalayan region.

The indigenous traditional knowledge of the properties of local plants and the local ecosystem, which is peculiar to local people, is on the verge of disappearing and represents a precious source of information on the healing properties of several endemic plants. The traditional and ritual management system of forests and the natural resources of the land pertaining to Buddhist monasteries express the active dimension of Buddhist cosmogonies and could contribute to the property's effective management.

The participation of Sikkim, which has already shown its extraordinary stewardship by totally converting itself into an organic farming state, in developing the proposal has provided a "bottom-up" approach to the process.

Two international bodies of experts evaluated India's proposal. The International Union for Conservation of Nature assessed the area's natural values and its outstanding universal values. The International Council on Monuments and Sites evaluated the cultural aspects of the nominated property, both visible and invisible.

Both bodies had found undeniable outstanding universal natural and cultural values and clear tangible and intangible authenticity and integrity of the 178,400 hectares of this Himalaya global biodiversity hot spot that has with a buffer zone of some 114,712 hectares.

KNP has now become the second largest World Heritage Site in India after the Western Ghats, which were inscribed in 2012.

Via TheDC

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The Albert Park (Darjeeling), 1916: A Heritage treasure on the verge of oblivion

7:37 PM

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History

Writes: Bivek Tamang

The Albert Park built in 1916 completes its 100 years of existence but only to be left with a worn out gate. The important piece of historical structure valuing the significance of “green space” for people and children in particular finds no “space” in the unplanned, unsystematic, and unmindful urbanisation in Darjeeling. The sad part has been our inability to preserve and maintain such unmatched beautiful creation of architecture in the name of urbanization and development. More importantly, the loss of parks and architectures apart from physical loss is the loss of history, too. Possibly, Lloyd Botanic Garden is the only preserved garden/park in Darjeeling amongst many parks such as Donovan Park Victoria, Park Barbourne, and Shrubbery Nightingale Park.

During my recent visit to Darjeeling on 12-05-2016 I felt as if I was there to witness a remorseful event of uncelebrated centenary of the Albert Park. Strolling down towards Chok Bazar I was sad to see the present state of The Albert Park. What struck me more were the digits 1916 apparent as the year of establishment? The next number which popped up in my mind was 2016. That made 100 or a perfect century. The immediate contemplation; staring at the dreadful state of affairs of the Albert gate (and rightly not of the Park) made me and for that would make any individual feel terribly miserable. It was a moment of disbelief in belief!!!

Remains of the Albert Park in Darjeeling today

Realising the economic, social, cultural and historical values of ancient buildings or structures (and even practices), countries around the world are advocating for those to be listed in the official World Heritage Site List of UNESCO. Conversely, we are almost allowing our historic structures to go unnoticed and uncared for. It is time that we assume the responsibility to care and show respect not just for local community/ interest but also for the world as a whole; as the existence of these structures provide an opportunity for the global community to visit, learn, appreciate and connect to their past. There is so much to learn from such important architectural piece of undocumented history. This may be viewed as an opportunity to sustainable tourism.

Romila Thapar argues “understanding our past is of vital importance to our present” (The Past as Present, 2014). Unfortunately, our books (or syllabus) in schools and above never have had space for our own history, geography, historical monuments, tombs, religious structures, place-names, railways (Darjeeling Himalaya Railways) and connectivity breakthroughs, hydro-electricity (Sidrabong power station), community, cultural and social practices etc. We need to preserve and narrate these historical stories to our children and youth (coming generation). As it is said, each piece of historical architectural has its own story of art, culture, knowledge, technology and progress of human civilisation.

Therefore, we seriously need to revitalise our thought process and reorient our institutional approach towards the study and restoration of such few remaining historical structures before these exclusive treasures are pushed over the cliff or before we lose them completely by ‘wilfully’ allowing them to decay and fade.

Bivek Tamang
Assistant Professor
Sikkim University- Gangtok
(A Central University established by an Act of Parliament, 2007)
Also the author of Political “Uncertainty” (arguably instability) in the Darjeeling Hills: Confusion, Chaos and Crisis. )

Via DT

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Darjeeling - another heritage gone, GTA pulls down Sailabash

12:42 PM

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History

Darjeeling, May 31: Darjeeling's rare connection with present-day Bangladesh and a part of the hill town's rich history has been reduced to rubble.

The GTA has pulled down Sailabash, the over-a-century-old summer retreat of the raja of Digapatia, to set up a modern hotel management institute and guesthouse in one of the last few available green spaces in Darjeeling.

Digapatia is now in Rajshahi, Bangladesh.

The palace under the tourism department of the GTA near Jalapahar and was brought down about two weeks ago. "The building was in a dilapidated state and recent earthquakes too had caused some damage," said Kishore Ghimire, an executive engineer of the GTA.

In his book, A Concise History of The Darjeeling District Since 1835, which was published in 1922, E.C. Dozey, a writer and historian, said the building had been set up on land that was once owned by Capt J. Masson, the superintendent of Tukvar tea estate, by the "Digapatia Rajah". The retreat was earlier called Girivilash and the name was changed to Sailabash after Independence.

An undated photo of Sailabash: Courtesy Das Studio in Darjeeling

The Late Nayan Subba's soon-to-be-published book, Heritage buildings of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong, says Raja Pramatha Nath Rai Bahadur had founded Girivilash whose garden was laid out by a German floriculturist and horticulturist, Morgenstern, and was looked after by 12 gardeners.

Nobody could say exactly in which year the building had been constructed. But its believed it was built in the last decade of the 19th century.

"Girivilash was a favourite place for the British governors of Bengal....The British army took over the palace in 1942. Later on, it was acquired by the government. It also served as a Tibetan school for a while. The palace has lost the historical grandeur of Girivilash," writes Subba.

According to Subba, the colonial building had an attic with miniature gables and a small dome, and an all-weather glazed rotunda with small square windows in classical style. There was a tennis court as well.

"Raja Pramadanath Roy occupied the front suite on the ground floor, which included the library, with its precious screens of velvet and ornate wooden pelmets," writes Subba.

The front suite of the upper storey with the snow view rooms was "for the rani",

Subba writes. It was "beautifully furnished with a curtained brass cot and a chandelier. There was a huge grandfather clock, which indicated the days of the month and the full moon day (Ekadashi). On the ground floor were the drawing room, dinning room, tash khana (card room) and the billiards room," Subba adds.

Despite being in a dilapidated state, Sailabash was still a landmark in Darjeeling and used to house a guesthouse after Independence. Once the building was taken over by the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, the office of the hill body's vice-chairman was housed there. For the past 20 years, the building had been lying vacant.

Bharat Prakash Rai, convener of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Darjeeling chapter), said: "How foolish can we be to dismantle such structures in the name of development. Could it not have been repaired? We have lost a piece of history and that is very sad."

Dawa Lepcha, the GTA Sabha member in charge of tourism, said: "A big-scale hotel management institution will be coming up and the requirements were such that the building had to come down."

GTA executive engineer Ghimire said the project cost had been pegged at Rs 55 crore. "Apart from the institution, there will also be a guesthouse with 24 rooms for in-house training. The infrastructure is being set up as per the parameters laid down by AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education)"

The five-acre plot in which the Sailabash was located has Annapurna and Kafal guesthouses, along with a pond built by the DGHC. "The Annapurna guesthouse will be used as an administrative building for the institution, while a part of Kafal will have to be dismantled. The pond will be smaller in size and we will have facilities for rainwater harvesting," said Ghimire.

The engineer said restoration of the building would have cost much more.

Via Telegraph

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Kalimpong's MacFarlane Memorial Church turns 125 years old

9:22 AM

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Kalimpong District

The 125th anniversary celebrations of Kalimpong's MacFarlane Memorial Church is scheduled to begin from Monday with a gospel choir programme at Town Hall.

Reverend Samuel Lepcha, a member of the Celebration Committee of MacFarlane Memorial Church, Church of North India, Kalimpong, said groups from different churches and schools in the hill town would participate in the event. "We also plan to hold a host of programmes for youths, senior citizens and women leading up to the 125th anniversary on November 1, 2016," he said.

The church, named after William MacFarlane, the first missionary from the Church of Scotland who visited Darjeeling in 1870, is visible from almost all parts of the town and is the most prominent landmark. The foundation stone of the church was laid on 24 February, 1890, and it was opened on November 1, 1891.

The church was damaged in the Sikkim earthquake of September 18, 2011, and was closed for more than two years. It reopened in December 2013.

Kalimpong's MacFarlane Memorial Church - Picture by Chinlop Fudong Lepcha

"The earthquake had caused extensive damage to the interiors and the bell tower. All the pinnacles, including the big four and the small four of the bell tower, were damaged. A slab on the top-most level had also suffered damage," said Subin Pradhan, an architect from Kalimpong, who was part of a team that worked on the church's restoration.

Telegraph

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UNESCO to Survey ‪‎Darjeeling‬ Himalayan Railway Next Month

7:43 AM

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heritage

Writes: Mrinalini Sharma

A six-member Unesco team will visit the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway for five days next month to conduct a survey of the World Heritage Site.

The visit is part of formulating# a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan - a blue print on conservation, management and sustainable development of toy train.

Officials of the DHR said the team would be here from April 9 to 13 and visit different stations of the hill railway.

"A team of Unesco experts will visit the DHR for five days from April 9 to 13. We have been informed that this is a visit before work on formulating the CCMP begins. The team will visit all stations of the hill railway, including Tindharia workshop," said Narendra Mohan, the area officer of the DHR.

"This will be a field survey of the DHR to understand the landscape on which the heritage railway is, various components of the DHR and other important details about its conservation and management. The team will have three officials from the Unesco's New Delhi office and three Unesco experts from different countries. The preparation of the CCMP will take at least two years," he added.

Darjeeling‬ Himalayan Railway

The CCMP is mandatory for all Unesco World Heritage properties.

The master plan for the DHR will be formulated by the Unesco experts in collaboration with the Indian Railways that would provide the funds.

Unesco has said the plan should cover all aspects like institutional, legal and economic and ensure that the "Outstanding Universal Value" should be protected.

Paul Whittle, the vice-chairman of UK-based Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society (DHRS), wrote an e-mail to The Telegraph about the visit.

"It is great news that work is about to start on this long-awaited DHR Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan, funded by Indian Railways and led by a UNESCO appointed panel of experts. This initial visit is the essential first step in a lengthy and wide-ranging study that will form the basis of a robust and lasting plan for the conservation and sensitive development of this World Heritage railway," he wrote.

"We know that UNESCO will be seeking input and recommendations from a wide body of local organizations and other bodies. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society will certainly be contributing to UNESCO's work," the e-mail read.

Established in 1881, the DHR was accorded the Unesco World Heritage status in 1999.

It is the second railway in the world to be given a heritage status after the Semmering Railway in Austria in 1998.

Telegraph

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100 years of Tindharia workshop - DHR, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

12:37 PM

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Tenzing Norgey

1915-2015: 100 years of Tindharia Works, A UNESCO World Heritage Area
Article by: DHR Sano Rail

This year celebrates 100 years of Tindharia Works. It has always been considered a location relatively safe from landslips but this was to change in 2011.

The only background information I have of Tindharia is to be found in the late Terry Martin’s books ‘Halfway to Heaven’ and ‘Iron Sherpa’ - although I remember conversations with some local residents of the area over the past 20 years,

Until the early 19th Century, the Darjeeling Hills were heavily forested and largely unpopulated apart from the indigenous Lepcha people. I am not certain as to exactly where the area which is now Tindharia lay in relation to the borders of the kingdoms of Bhutan, Nepal and Sikkim before the British Raj purchased land around Darjeeling and Kurseong from Sikkim as sanatoriums and summer resorts.

The first roads into the area, to link Siliguri and Darjeeling, were the Pankabari Road up to Kurseong and then the Military Road across to Darjeeling. However, these were steep mountain tracks suitable only for pack horses rather than wheeled carts. The Hill Cart Road (now NH55 Tensing Norgay Road) was built around 1861 with a steady gradient up which two bullocks could haul a cart. It was largely along this formation that the DHR was constructed in 1879 - 81 to reduce the almost prohibitive cost of taking supplies up to Darjeeling and bringing down the products of the rapidly developing tea industry.

Tindharia was built as a ‘railway town’ by the DHR around its mechanical headquarters. It is said that the location, which is logistically illogical for a workshop, was chosen for being the lowest point in the Darjeeling Hills, on the DHR, where the British employees could work year round. It should be remembered that, at that time, Siliguri was just a very small settlement around the railway junction between the North Bengal Railway from Calcutta (through what is now Bangladesh) and the DHR up to Darjeeling and considered to be a most unhealthy location to spend any time.

The current workshop complex at Tindharia was not built until 1913 - 15. From 1881 until then, it is assumed that the large locomotive shed there, with the godowns around it, was also used as the workshops for major locomotive and rolling stock repairs. This would make sense as the Chief Mechanical Engineer’s bungalow and the Mechanical Department offices were adjacent to it. The original bungalow was a single storey wooden structure with a veranda, similar to many of the Tea Planters bungalows of the period, but was replaced in the mid 1940s with the current two-storey building in the then fashionable Indian interpretation of Art Deco style - which can also be seen at Darjeeling Station. The office building was destroyed during the political disturbances of the mid 1980s - although the remains still exist.

The first railway colonies were built around Tindharia station and the Locomotive Shed and include the bazaar area. Later ones were constructed further down the hill nearer to the new Workshops. I don’t know if it still exists, but the only street map I have seen of Tindharia was (2004) framed in the electric generating plant in the Workshops and also had the power lines into the town marked on it.
The opening of the new Workshops (which are just about to celebrate their centenary) coincided with the major expansion of the DHR system with new lines from Siliguri to Kishanganj (connecting with the metre gauge line to Katihar) and up the Teesta Valley (to develop international trading with Tibet at Kalimpong). Other developments at this time included the hospital at Tindharia, new headquarters offices for the DHR at Kurseong (adjacent to the station), the DHR Club at Kurseong (now All India Radio) and a new railway colony at Kurseong, which incorporating the railway officers’ residences above what is now the Tourist Lodge.

Until the DHR company sold out to Indian Railways in 1947, the method of working the line was very different to that of today. Not only were the now extinct freight facilities considerably larger (and more profitable) than the passenger services but all train operation was based at Tindharia. Therefore Tindharia was home not only to the workshop overhaul staff but to most of the routine maintenance staff, loco drivers, firemen, sanders, guards, jamader / brakesmen etc. Locomotives and their crews all started from Tindharia and worked on a cycle of diagrams which might involve spending one or more nights away from home at Darjeeling or Kurseong or Siliguri. One retired driver told me that at the height of the spring tea season, he had to make four round trips between Tindharia and Sukna each day to clear the loaded wagons off the Hills as fast as possible for a larger loco to assemble longer trains onwards to Siliguri and transhipment onto the Broad Gauge for Calcutta.

In its last year as a private company, the DHR employed at Tindharia:
• 1 Chief Mechanical Engineer
o 1 Chief Clerk
8 Clerks
1 Steno typist
1 Tracer
3 Menials
o 1 Loco Officer
1 Coal Inspector
3 Coal Clerks
30 Drivers
31 Firemen
200 Jamaders and Brakesmen
45 Jackmen and Loco Cleaners
1 Shed Clerk
2 Running Clerks
2 Callmen
o 1 Store Keeper
1 Head Clerk
7 Clerks
9 Menials
o 1 Workshop Foreman
1 Assistant Chargeman
2 Shop Clerks
2 Peons
2 Timekeepers
5 Chowkidars
88 Fitters
27 Drillers and Turners
12 Boilermakers
50 Riveters
16 Blacksmiths
14 Strikers
23 Carpenters
4 Coppersmiths
4 Tailors
16 Painters
11 Moulders
28 Khalasis
1 Tindal
1 Sweeper
• 1 Medical Officer (at Kurseong)
o 2 Assistant Medical Officers
1 Compounder
1 Nurse
1 Dresser
2 Menials
• 1 Commercial Inspector
o 2 Station Masters (including relief)
o 2 Assistant Station Masters (including relief)
12 Guards
2 Travelling Ticket Examiners
• 683 Total

This list does not include Civil Engineering and Permanent Way staff nor other Commercial passenger or freight staff based at Tindharia (as the inventory does not split the location of these establishments).

The Mechanical Engineering Department did not function as separate Open Line and Workshop divisions - only maintenance (all types) and train crews.

Although all the above employees were based at Tindharia, some of their work-output was actually for the DHR extension lines from Siliguria to Teesta Valley or Kishanganj, not the DHR main line to Darjeeling.

It is probable that the above establishment levels were much higher than those in the 1930s since the DHR had only just started reducing its operations after World War II - when road traffic was restricted, many special trains were run for the Army (both rest leave and medical convalescence in the Hills) and Tindharia Workshops was undertaking production of many Broad Gauge railway components to allow other railway workshops in India to increase output of military hardware.

Today, Tindharia is best described as a ‘ghost town’; a shadow of its former self. The DHR no longer runs services to Teesta Valley and Kishanganj or freight trains and the remaining passenger services are now based at Darjeeling and Siliguri. Only a much-reduced establishment at the Workshops, the last in India to give heavy repairs to steam locomotives and wooden bodied coaches, remains to give local employment. Even the passing trade of cars, taxis and buses up the Hill Cart Road requiring refreshments has ceased because of landslips either side of the town in 2010 - 12 and again recently.

It is hoped that the soon-to-commence UNESCO Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan (CCMP) for the DHR will recognise that all the non-railway, environmental, social and cultural criteria of the World Heritage Site listing (as well as the obvious railway elements) are summarised in the railway town of Tindharia and that a sub-plan can be developed to give the area a sustainable future and hope.

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Garg responds on Hotel Mount Everest after outcry in the social media and Gurung's statement

9:21 AM

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heritage

Vivek Chhetri

Bimal Gurung today said the GTA would oppose the dismantling of Hotel Mount Everest and demanded that the new structure proposed at the same site be in tune with "the aesthetic value of the place".

Hotel Mount Everest Darjeeling

East India Hotels (EIH) Limited, which owns the Oberoi and Trident brand of hotels, had recently announced that it had sold the property to a consortium of businessmen led by B.M. Garg, a Darjeeling-based multiplex owner, for Rs 11 crore.

In a Facebook post, the GTA chief executive welcomed the purchase of the hotel by Garg. "I have just come to learn from news reports regarding the purchase of the Heritage Mount Everest Hotel. I am happy that the purchase by a private company has materialised. After a period of 30 years of remaining as an eyesore, it is a welcome sign," he said in the post.

Terming the hotel, which had once hosted Mohammed Ali Jinnah and Amitabh Bachchan among others, as part of Darjeeling's "folklore", Gurung said: "...The Hotel is so deeply integral to the lives of the people of Darjeeling that the dismantling of the place would not be the right solution. It has a History of it's own which is woven with the History of Darjeeling."

Reminiscing about how he used to "stand in awe and admire the place from the road", Gurung said: "The GTA will oppose any form of dismantling of the Iconic Heritage architectural structure. The new venture that is being proposed must be inline with the existing structure and construction must be undertaken without dismantling the aesthetic value of the place."

He has also demanded that the earlier employees of the hotel be reabsorbed.

Soon after Gurung issued the statement, Garg today took the media to the property to show that the structure was on the verge of collapse -the beams of the three-storied structure had fallen and the concrete floor had cracked.

"It seems the rooms in the hotel were about 120sqft each. But modern hotels now have rooms of at least 410sqft. The toilets are also small," said Garg.

He had said the 100-year-old structure would be dismantled and a housing complex and a new hotel would come up in its place.

Responding to Gurung's statement as well as the outcry in the social media over the plan to pull down the hotel, Garg said: "As someone from Darjeeling, who was born and brought up here, I understand the aesthetic value of the place. We might have to alter the structure depending on the advice of architects. But we will use the same construction materials (stones) and we will come up with the same design. I assure everyone that the new hotel will be even better and will be in tune with the architectural value of the existing building."

Garg also said the new hotel would be named Mount Everest.

"My attachment to the hotel is immense. My sister, Premlata Agarwal, who climbed Mount Everest and six other peaks across the globe, had her engagement ceremony here at this hotel in 1982," said Garg.

The hotel was devastated in a fire on October 19, 1978, and was ultimately closed in June 1984.

Source - Telegraph

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An Open Letter To Mr. B. M. Garg About Hotel Mount Everest

7:17 PM

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Opinion

Adwiti Subba Haffner is an entrepreneur, social worker, writer, freelance journalist, world traveler, mother, wife, meditation teacher and a Darjeelingey who loves Darjeeling writes an open letter to Mr. B. M. Garg, also a Darjeelingey, who recently bought Hotel Mount Everest.

 Mr. B. M. Garg who bought  Hotel Mount Everest 

Dear Mr. Garg,

Please preserve and save Hotel Mount Everest.

On the morning of August 7th, I woke up to the startling news that the epochal Hotel Mount Everest in Darjeeling was sold! Instantly fond memories of the iconic historical structure flooded my mind --the road that lead to the beautiful garden, and the grand dining room with orange and saffron carpets where guests were introduced to high teas in the plush surroundings. A place that has played a substantial part in shaping our memories growing up in the Queen of hill-stations.

I was immediately relieved to read that you were the buyer, a local resident, our very own Darjeelingey, and not some uninformed out of town commercial corporation that would never appreciate or understand the significance of its priceless legacy.

I am appalled and extremely disappointed to learn that you actually plan to raze Hotel Mount Everest to the ground to make way for a high-end housing complex and hotel.

In circumstances where information is decentralized, the vox populi or shared wisdom, is demonstrably greater to the judgment of experts alone and in this case I humbly suggest you listen; for the public expects your business to operate in a manner that enhances the image of the community as a whole. It is indeed a good business practice to build or operate around resident’s well wishes and popular sentiment.

1. Please know that heritage structures such as this which is also a landmark building in our community is vital to the identity and cultural integrity of our unique home town. I urge you and your group to preserve the façade and the roofline while perhaps modernizing the structure behind it so that it compliments the existing historical register.

2. Business is important. We understand that. It fundamentally deals with the allocation of resources and often businesses are key players in averting economies from being sluggish or inert. Architectural monuments and buildings are main attractors of tourists. Everyone likes to experience eras and the “spirit” of the place. Again I invite you and your group to not demolish the structure. The Hotel has weathered fire, nature, landslides, storms, political unrest and now this very structure should not be facing a bull dozer.

3. Darjeeling is a tourism-dependent city and if you preserve the historical structure and the architecture of the building then the Darjeeling diaspora, along with the foreign and national tourists are more likely to take advantage of this place than what you are planning to build which is perhaps like any other concrete structure with no personality or character.

4. Why preserve? Why keep the old and decaying? Why save historical structures when instead a shiny skyscraper or mall can be erected? Because you, sir will be resurrecting and rehabilitating something that everyone in Darjeeling and lovers of Darjeeling treasures. Without some tangible prompt of the past, history is difficult to understand, particularly heritage buildings that remind us of what, where and how we were. This is part of national history. Buildings can be among the most valuable living structure that defines a community’s architectural profile. We cannot request you to keep the building as is, we are again encouraging you and the group not raze or demolish the basic architectural structure of this beauty.

5. You may ask where the people were when the Hotel was decaying, putrefying and crumbling for three decades. For thirty five years we had hope that when the economy and the political climate improved the hotel would be restored to its former glory. It was not threatened like it is now. Now a slice of history is endangered. The collective memories and the history of the Darjeelingeys are vulnerable and in your hands. Here is a petition to Stop Demolition of the Hotel : http://tinyurl.com/MountEverestHotelDarjeeling

In life there comes a time where one is at a crossroads. You have an immediate choice right now to completely erase a portion of history of Darjeeling or you have the power to preserve it, to nurture it and to give yourself the opportunity to be celebrated as someone who stood on the right side of history. The very reason that the public is protesting is because they have hope. We strongly believe you will not disappoint us and yourself. And, you will do the right thing!
Thanking you in anticipation,
Adwiti Subba Haffner

Footnote: Here is an excerpt about Hotel Mount Everest from my father, Late Mr Nayan Subba’s much awaited book “Heritage Buildings of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong” due to be published this Autumn 2015.

“ Hotel Mount Everest was built on the land where once stood the Rutland House and the Newstead House. On the 14th March 1914, a deed was delivered in favour of Mr. Arratoon Stephen by Mr.N. C. Bose, the solicitor who owned the place along with Encee Cottage that became the Manager’s bungalow. Encee Cottage is a heritage building more than a hundred years old. The hotel was completed on the 12th October, 1915. It was built on principles of continental hotels by Mr. Arratoon Stephen. It was designed by Mr. Stephan Wilkinson, the architect.”

[You can find her at https://www.facebook.com/AdwitiHaffner and her website is www.alivewithadwiti.com]

Via - DT

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Bimal Gurung Supports Protecting the Heritage Structure of Hotel Mount Everest

3:48 PM

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Tourism

The GTA chief Bimal Gurung has extended his support to protect the 100 years old heritage structure of Hotel Mount Everest in Darjeeling. He said that the new venture that is being proposed must be inline with the existing structure and should not be dismantled. He has also demanded that the ex-employees who were forced to quit the job following the fire be reemployed in the upcoming hotel.

Bimal Gurung Supports Protecting the Heritage Structure of Hotel Mount Everest

GJM chief released his statement on the issue of dismantling of the Hotel Mount Everest taday and said "I have just come to learn from news reports regarding the purchase of the Heritage Mount Everest Hotel. I am happy that the purchase by a private company has materialised. After a period of 30 years of remaining as an eyesore, it is a welcome sign.

However, The Hotel is so deeply integral to the lives of the people of Darjeeling that the dismantling of the place would not be the right solution. It has a History of it's own which is woven with the History of Darjeeling.

The people of Darjeeling always fondly remember the Hotel even though they may not have had the resources to take advantage of the facilities it offered.
It has been a part of the folk lore of the Hills. It has provided livelihood to thousands of people. It has been the place associated with famous people and locals have happy memories attached with this hotel.
As a young boy from the gardens I used to stand in awe and admire the place from the road.
The GTA will oppose any form of dismantling of the Iconic Heritage architectural structure. The new venture that is being proposed must be inline with the existing structure and construction must be undertaken without dismantling the aesthetic value of the place. Those ex-employees of Hotel Mount Everest who were laid off must be absorved as workers by the new company.

दार्जीलिङको ऐतिहासिक धरोहरको रूपमा विख्यात माउण्ट एभरेष्ट होटेल बिक्री भएको विभिन्न समाचार माध्यमहरूमार्फत हालैमा मात्रै मैले थाह पाए। उक्त होटेललाई एउटा निजी कम्पनीले पुन: निर्माणको उद्धेश्यले नै किनेको थाह लागेपछि मलाई धेरै खुशी लागेको छ। लगभग तीस वर्षको दुरावस्थापछि उक्त ऐतिहासिक होटेलले नयॉं रूप लिनु स्वागतयोग्य विषय हो।
यद्यपि दार्जीलिङवासीको जनजीवन अनि इतिहाससित पनि गहिरो सम्बन्ध रहेको तथा दार्जीलिङवासीको गहिरो प्रेम रहेको यस होटेललाई होटेललाई पूर्णरूपले ध्वस्त गरी नयॉं निर्माण गर्नु सही समाधान हुनेछैन। दार्जीलिङ पहाड़को इतिहासमा यस होटेलको आफ्नै गरिमामय इतिहास समाहित रहेको छ। यस होटेलबाट प्रदान गर्ने संशाधन अनि सुविधाहरूको राम्रो प्रकारले उपभोग गर्न नसकेतापनि दार्जीलिङवासीले यस होटेललाई सदैव आफ्नो ह्रदयपटमा सम्हालेर राखेका छन्। दार्जीलिङ पहाड़को मुटुमा यो होटेल दार्जीलिङ पहाड़को लोक- संस्कृतिको एक अभिन्न अंग भएर पनि बसेका छन्। हजारौं मानिसहरूको जीविका आर्जनको माध्यम पनि बनिसकेको छ यो होटेल। भारत देशसितै विश्वभरिकै प्रसिद्ध व्यक्तिहरूको सु:खद सम्झनाहरू पनि यस होटेलसित जोड़िएको छ। दार्जीलिङ पहाड़को विभिन्न ऐतिहासिक घटनाहरूसितै यहॉंको सामाजिक, सांस्कृतिक अनि आर्थिक जीवनशैलीको साक्षी भएर पनि यो होटेल वर्षौदेखि दार्जीलिङ पहाड़को काखमा बसिरहेको छ।
चियाबगानको एक युवा केटा छदॉं सड़कमा उभेर मैले पनि यस होटेललाई अचम्भित बनेर धेरैबेर सम्म नियाल्ने गर्थे। यसको सौन्दर्य अनि शान देखेर म आफै अचम्भित बन्ने गर्थे त्यसबेला।

माउण्ट एभरेष्ट होटेल दार्जीलिङ पहाड़को ऐतिहासिक धरोहरको रूपमा रहिआएको हुनाले गोरखाल्याण्ड क्षेत्रीय प्रशासन उक्त होटेलको उदाहरणीय ऐतिहासिक सरचंनालाई पूर्णरूपले ध्वसं गर्ने विषयमा प्रतिवाद जनाउँदछ। यस होटेलमा रहिआएको पुरानो ऐतिहासिक सरंचनाको कलाकारिताको मूल्याङ्कन गरेर यसलाई नष्ट नगरी यस होटेलको नयॉं सरचंना गरिइयोस्। यसबाहेक माउण्ट एभरेष्ट होटेलका पुराना कर्मचारीहरूलाई पनि नयॉं कम्पनीले नोकरी प्रदान गर्नुपर्ने पनि कम्पनीपक्षलाई म निवेदन गर्दछु।"

Source - Bimal Gurung Official

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Darjeeling - Hotel Mount Everest Was Once “The Grandest Hotel In The Orients”

9:32 AM

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wake up

When Hotel Mount Everest was inaugurated on the 12th of October, 1915 the proprietor Mr. A. Stephen gave a grand opening dinner to the who’s who of the town. The hotel designed by Mr. Stephen Wilkinson – Architect was hands down the most imposing architectural marvel in town, and was described as potentially being “The Grandest Hotels in the Orients” by Mr. E. C Dozey

Here is an excerpt from Chapter – III of the book “Concise History of the Darjeeling District Since 1835” by E.C. Dozey which was published in the year 1922.

Clearing of the land behind the Hotel Mount Everest  has already started

The Evolution of Hotels.

The evolution of hotels in Darjeeling began in 1839, when 'The Darjeeling Family Hotel, ' which contained but I 3 rooms, was followed by 'Wilson's Hotel' which was established (by the proprietor of the hotel of the same name in Calcutta, now known as 'The Great Eastern Hotel') in a two-storied house containing 8 rooms. A large one-storied building of the same name (Castleton, in which the District Engineer's Office is now located) now stands on the same spot on Hooker Road. Then Woodlands" came into being, to be followed shortly after by Drum Druid, Rockville, Bellevue, and the Central Hotel, which can accommodate 40 boarders and is situated at the junction of the Post Office and Mount Pleasant Roads; the transition eventually evolving 'Hotel Mount Everest .'

This hotel, which was completed on the 12th October, 1915, was the scene of a fashionable gathering the evening following when a dinner was given by the proprietor, Mr. A. Stephen, to commemorate the opening of this up-to-date hotel built on the latest principles adopted in all continental hotels.

To say that this palatial structure is unique is but to repeat a truism, for it is unsurpassed by any building of a similar nature in the East.

The hotel' which commands a view of over IOO miles of the snowy range, and stands well above the town on the Auckland Road, was designed by Mr. Stephen Wilkinson, the architect. At present the building consists of a central block, with a north or right wing attached thereto, and contains 120 rooms furnished: with all appliances which go toward making life comfortable. But when the existing annex is demolished and the left wing added the number of dwelling rooms will be increased to 170. On the ground floor is a large lounge, which is 85 x 50 feet, luxuriously fitted up with arm chairs upholstered in dark green leather and small tables arranged on a highly polished wooden floor which is covered with handsome rugs.

From the east of this hall the ascent to the dining room above is made by the grand staircase, which is one of the features of this building being 16 feet in width until midway when it branches off to right and left. The dining hall has a rich panelled plaster ceiling, while from the centre of each panel hangs an electroclier of
beautiful design ; the walls are panelled up to a height of 7 feet in highly polished wood which gives the room a pleasing and warm effect.

Four fire-places serve to heat the room, while four concealed passages behind curved and mirrored sideboards enable the servants in attendance to appear as if by magic.

Seated round such a table one can truly say with 'Punch' :-

"How good to sit at twilight's close
In a warm Inn and feel
That marvellous smell caress the nose
With promise of a meal!
How good when bell for breakfast rings
To pause, while tripping down,
And snuff and snuff till Fancy brings
All Arcady to Town."

This building already possesses a most imposing frontage, but when the scheme has been given full effect to and the left wing added Darjeeling might well be proud of possessing one of the grandest and most up-to-date hotels in the Orient.

Today, clearing of the land behind the hotel has already started, and unless something is done collectively, chances are that this HERITAGE of ours will be forever lost.

If you want to help save this monument,

Please join: https://www.facebook.com/hotelmteverestpetition

To sign an online petition please visit: http://chn.ge/1IPQzGp

Source - TheDC

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Stop Demolition of Hotel Mt Everest Darjeeling

9:06 AM

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wake up

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.

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

Source- TheDC

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100-year-old Hotel Mount Everest to be dismantled in Darjeeling

10:09 AM

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Tourism

Vivek Chhetri

Darjeeling- Hotel Mount Everest that in its hey day had hosted Mohammed Ali Jinnah and Amitabh Bachchan will soon be dismantled and a housing complex and a new hotel will come up in its place.

A vintage postcard of the Mount Everest Hotel in Darjeeling, India.

East India Hotels (EIH) Limited, which owns the Oberoi and Trident brand of hotels, has announced that it has sold the property to a consortium of businessmen led by B.M. Garg, a Darjeeling-based multiplex owner, for Rs 11 crore.

Today, Garg said: “The property has been bought by a consortium of businessmen. We plan to dismantle the hotel as it is a 100-year-old structure. The property was ravaged by fire and it has been closed for 30 years now.”

Garg said they had not yet finalised the details of the housing complex and the hotel that would come up.

“We have not yet given any name to our business consortium or to the project. We will soon hire an architect to work out the details of the housing complex — given its demand in Darjeeling — and a high-end modern hotel.

We plan to start work after the winter.”

The land on which the hotel stands now and two residential buildings near it — Rutland House and Newstead House — were owned by Darjeeling resident Nemy Chandra Bose.

The property, which stands on a plot measuring around 5 acres, is along Gandhi Road.The stretch was earlier known as Auckland Road.

It is hardly a kilometre away from Chowrasta and is close to the Circuit House.

Bose leased out the property to Arathon Stephen for 99 years, which was to end on December 31, 2013.

Stephen turned the property into a hotel and named it Hotel Mount Everest.

In 1925, Stephen transferred the hotel to Everest Hotels Limited.

In 1963, it was transferred to a firm called Hotel 1938 Private Limited.

In September 9, 1968, the property was transferred to East India Hotels Limited.

According to author Sanjay Biswas, who wrote the book Pahar Theke Hariye Jaowa Padachinhaguli, Jinnah had stayed at Hotel Mount Everest in 1917.

Actors like Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor, Sunil Dutt, Rajesh Khanna and Rekha had also stayed at the hotel.

Suresh Periwal, the owner of Clubside Tours and Travel, the oldest travel agency in Darjeeling that was set up in 1948, said: “It is sad that an international chain of hotels is leaving Darjeeling. Their presence in Darjeeling would have meant lot of publicity for the place.”

Periwal was one of the first residents of Darjeeling to hold his marriage reception at Hotel Mount Everest.

“The hotel was devastated by a fire on October 19, 1978, and my marriage was on November 22, 1978. The hotel authorities ensured that the reception was held there. They closed down a section of the hotel with 30 rooms and opened the remaining 40 rooms for the marriage,” Periwal said.

Hotel Mount Everest was finally shut in June 1984.

Periwal said in 1969, a double room in the hotel would cost Rs 115 a day, while a single room came for Rs 85.

Today, Garg said they were hopeful that they would be able to start the construction soon.

Asked if the land mutation was under the name of EIH Limited, he said: “As of now, no. But we are confident that all issues would be resolved soon.”

Source: Telegraph

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Darjeeling heritage Lost and yet to lose

10:30 PM

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Opinion

Sanjog Chamling for IG

Darjeeling, once The Queen of the Hills, is today tattered in rags. The natural gift and beauty lost in the jungle of concrete, spreading like wildfire day by day. Demolition of heritage buildings and replacing them with awfully ugly structures have become increasingly common these days in Darjeeling. When will we understand that ‘We need to keep our inheritance not fritter it away’.

Dismantling of 160 year old heritage Park
Brabourne Park better known as JB Thapa Park in Chowrasta in Darjeeling, the architectural heritage dating back to 1897 and the structure older than the famous Victoria Memorial in Calcutta, dismantled against peoples' wish. Despite letters from the citizens, who love Darjeeling, to West Bengal Governor MK Narayanan and chief minister Mamata Banerjee a historical one of a kind structure replaced by an open-air theater. Imagine building an open-air theater by dismantling Victoria Memorial in Kolkata.

Brabourne Park Darjeeling

The Rink Cinema - Paradise Lost ...
The old Rink was heritage. Its gone and lost forever. Bunch of congenital imbeciles permitted its demolition. There are lakhs of Big Bazaars all over the country but not a single "Darjeeling Rink".

Rink Cinema Darjeeling - Pic Mohan Flora‎

There is no comparison... Rink was beautiful and Big Bazaar is crap and ugly as hell. Rink added to the beauty of Darjeeling and Big Bazaar adds ugliness. So, good people of Darjeeling.. wake up and don't let any more heritage buildings be destroyed. Heritage buildings should be repaired, restored and reused.

Endangered Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
Built between 1879 and 1881, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in fact the only Indian railway with the UNESCO world heritage tag  has already been warned by UNESCO that it could lose its status as a world heritage site. With the fresh landslides the famous Darjeeling “toy train” that every one of us take pride in is already in danger.

THE AMAZING LOOP at Chambatta, on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway-
 pic via railwaywondersoftheworld

Victoria Park
Victoria Park or Mahatma Gandhi Park was demolished for Rabindra Bhawan which was later renamed as Bhanu Bhawan and now the giant Gorkha Ranga Manch Bhawan stands tall blocking the view of Kanchenjunga. Victoria Park with bandstand, swings, merry-go-rounds and huge open spaces must have been great . Thanks to Satyajit Ray who had shot extensively in the park for his film Kanchenjunga (1962) you might be able to catch a glimpse of it if you watch the film very carefully.

Victoria Park Darjeeling now Place where Gorkha Rangamanch Bhawan stands

The park was torn apart to set up the Rabindra Bhawan. Later, it was renamed Bhanu Bhawan, which housed the paramilitary forces during the mid-80s before the entire structure was dismantled by the DGHC to come up with the seven-storied Gorkha Rangamanch Bhawan.

Donovan Park
Donovan Park with a well-laid tennis court and manicured lawns was the pride of the town till the late 60s. Today, along the busy NH55, the only remnant of the park is a concrete portico, which seems to be constantly fighting for space with the mushrooming shops, many of which open right into the pavement, much to the chagrin of the pedestrians. Today a concrete portico is the only part of the Donovan Park that still remains.

Concrete portico is the only part of the Donovan Park in Darjeeling that still remains.

Darjeeling Natural History Museum
The Transfer of Darjeeling Natural History Museum from its current premise situated in a historical building. Established in the year 1903 Museum was situated in the Darjeeling botanical garden, and was moved to the current location, Old Secretariat Building, in 1914-15.

GTA pulled down Sailabash / Girivilash 
The GTA (Gorkhaland Territorial Administration) has pulled down Sailabash, the over-a-century-old summer retreat of the raja of Digapatia, to set up a modern hotel management institute and guesthouse in one of the last few available green spaces in Darjeeling. In his book, A Concise History of The Darjeeling District Since 1835, which was published in 1922, E.C. Dozey, a writer and historian, said the building had been set up on land that was once owned by Capt J. Masson, the superintendent of Tukvar tea estate, by the "Digapatia Rajah". The retreat was earlier called Girivilash and the name was changed to Sailabash after Independence.

The Late Nayan Subba's book, Heritage buildings of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong, says Raja Pramatha Nath Rai Bahadur had founded Girivilash whose garden was laid out by a German floriculturist and horticulturist, Morgenstern, and was looked after by 12 gardeners.

"Girivilash was a favourite place for the British governors of Bengal....The British army took over the palace in 1942. Later on, it was acquired by the government. It also served as a Tibetan school for a while. The palace has lost the historical grandeur of Girivilash," writes Subba.

An undated photo of Sailabash: Courtesy Das Studio in Darjeeling

Why we should preserve our Heritage ?
Heritage can give us a sense of belonging and provide us with insight on where we come from. A keen sense of your heritage will help you to understand, in part, just who you are, your identity. "Our Gift to Future Generations" we can give a rich heritage to them even if we cant give all that we would like to give them.

In the process of so called development have we lost the race of keeping our heritage intact? Of what we have left can an effort be made to save the rest?


References from Telegraph, images from flickers, Facebook and various sources in the internet

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Help Save Darjeeling Museum says FOSEP

9:40 AM

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heritage

"Don't Let Them Ruin Our Heritage - Help Save Darjeeling Museum" says FOSEP

Taking exception to the proposed transfer of Darjeeling Museum from its current premise, near Alice Villa hotel to the Darjeeling Zoo premise, the Federation of Societies for Environmental Protection (FOSEP) has requested people to help save our heritage.

Darjeeling Museum

Speaking to the press Mr. Bharat Prakash Rai the coordinator for FOSEP said, "the Bengal Natural History Museum is situated in a historical building and when it will be moved, the entire essence of the museum, which is to project and protect the natural heritage of Darjeeling will be lost."

He alleged that the former Darjeeling Zoo Director A K Jha had arbitrarily decided to move the Museum to the Zoo campus, without understanding the significance of the current location.

Mr. Rai further accused that " A K Jha had indulged in massive corruption of Crores of rupees in building a new museum premise within the Zoo campus, and we have filed a CBI case against him, because of which he has been suspended from work right now."

The Darjeeling museum was originally established in the year 1903 and was situated in the Darjeeling botanical garden, and was moved to the current location, Old Secretariat Building, in 1914-15.

Mr Rai requested all the local people, conservationists, political parties and civil society groups to help FOSEP to prevent the shifting of the Museum.

Source: TheDC

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