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In the 70's many monuments were removed and damaged by the terrorist MGP.
BC
Govt seeks to hijack Goa’s heritage
PRAJAL SAKHARDANDE
PANJIM, SEPT 21
The heritage of our beautiful State is in deep peril. The Goa Ancient Monuments
and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment) Bill, 2010 has placed the
51-odd heritage sites and monuments under the purview of the Goa State
Archaeology Dept in a highly vulnerable situation.
The Amendment of Section 2 of the existing Goa, Daman and Diu Ancient Monuments
and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, which was passed in 1978 by the
Shashikala Kakodkar-led Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) government, is the
main cause for concern.
For Clause (7), the following clause has been substituted: “(7) maintains, with
its grammatical variations and cognate expressions includes the renovation,
re-erection, re-construction, fencing, covering in, etc…” The amended clause
permits, among other things, “re-erection” and “re-construction” of historical
heritage monuments.
This is highly objectionable. Re-erection and re-construction pre-supposes
demolition. This can deface the history and heritage character of a monument.
Nowhere on Earth is such a clause found in any Act pertaining to heritage
sites,
antiquities, archaeological sites and monuments.
The amendment also throws the field open to private vested interests, hotel
lobbies and such other agencies to prey upon our valuable and priceless
heritage
for profiteering; it allows the Government to authorise any kind of body to
“re-erect” or “re-construct” any monument.
This will keep the field open to all manner of hucksters to take over heritage
sites by greasing the palms of ministers and government officials, modify them
as they like, and even knock them down and “re-construct” them.
We will then have nothing to show our future generations by way of the history
and heritage of Goa. Tourists, both domestic and foreign, want to see the
original heritage character, history and culture of the places that they visit.
It is very important to preserve our history and heritage and all the 51
monuments and sites in their original form, without any “re-construction”
and/or
“re-erection”.
The worst thing about this scurrilous amendment is that it is deemed to have
come into force on March 1, 2007. Quite apart from the fact that this is
blatantly unconstitutional, as it comes into force with retrospective effect,
is
it designed to lend legality to some crooked deals that we know nothing about?
Goans, watch out. This might be another RP2011 in the making!
