Conservation of national heritage needs the push of economic liberalisation

The Humayun’s Tomb restoration project remains an island in a morass of ignorant

thinking about preservation of national sites

Written by Ratish Nanda | Published: June 7, 2017 5:44 pm

It all began in 1997 when His Highness the Aga Khan gifted the garden restoration of the
Humayun’s Tomb, to mark the 50th anniversary of India’s independence. (Source:
Wikipedia)
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July 2017 will mark a decade of efforts by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) in the
Humayun’s Tomb – Nizamuddin area of Delhi. In these 10 years, conservation objectives at
Humayun’s Tomb were coupled with meeting socio-development and environmental goals
benefitting local populations, creating employment opportunities for craftsmen and leading
to a 1000% increase in visitor numbers to the World Heritage Site.

It all began in 1997 when His Highness the Aga Khan gifted the garden restoration of the
Humayun’s Tomb, to mark the 50th anniversary of India’s independence. However almost
two decades since AKTC first partnered with the Archaeological Survey of India to share the
responsibility of conservation of our national heritage, we remain the only private entity to
have implemented conservation works at any of India’s national monuments. Only a few
years before, India had set out to reform and change deep rooted systems in order to
ensure much needed economic growth. Two decades later, there is hardly any sector not
touched by private involvement in steering the country towards development.

Private banks, private hospitals, private universities today serve populations across all parts
of the country. Similarly, private investment in the building of roads, ports, airports, metro
corridors has ensured our national infrastructure is setting standards for the world.
However, despite worldwide recognition of India’s reform, responsibility for conservation
and management of our national heritage sites, public museums and even performance arts
is still seen as the sole responsibility of government departments. These remain staffed with
scarce human resources and meagre government funding.

Meanwhile, the larger-than-life success of the large scale Nizamuddin Urban Renewal
Initiative was only possible because AKTC decided it would embark on creating partnerships
with local agencies so that they understood the concept of trusteeship. So alongside the ASI,
the Delhi Development Authority and the South Delhi municipal corporation, AKTC
collaborated with national and international trusts such as the Tata Trust, Ford Foundation
and the World Monuments Fund.

Corporates like Interglobe, Havells and Titan as well as foreign governments of Germany,
the US and Norway also supported our efforts. And yet, despite two decades of a successful
demonstration of public-private partnership at Humayun’s Tomb and over two years since
the availability of Corporate Social Responsibility funds, little or no impact has occurred to
enhance the state of preservation of national sites or museums. Almost all of India’s other
significant sites are in need of dire attention, just as Humayun’s Tomb once did.

CSR funding in India is estimated to be in excess of Rs 20,000 crores annually; even 1% of

this going towards conservation or upgrading museums will have significant impact. They
can be utilised for engaging required multi-disciplinary teams to lead major conservation
efforts, to curate and procure objects for museum collections, to provide modern exhibition
design and site interpretation at both museums and sites.

Can private funds not be utilised to bring back significant Indian artefacts put up at auctions
each month – as the Chinese have successfully done? Most international museums and
national heritage sites are dependent on private funding and expertise to operate without
recourse to government funds. At museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in
New York, almost every object on display is a ‘gift’ and each gallery named after a donor –
the result of museum curators and staff who work hard to secure private funds required to
keep the museum to standards that will attract millions annually. The Louvre in Paris
attracts double the number of tourists visiting India!

Private and corporate donors to museums and heritage sites understand that they are
investing in the country’s development just as they would be doing so with investments in
upgrading transport, health and education infrastructure.
To mimic the impact of the cultural sector on creating employment, increasing revenue
through tourism and instilling a sense of pride in local communities, the government needs
to incentivise and prioritise private involvement in the culture sector – corporates,
universities, Resident Welfare Associations (RWA’s), Civil society groups, NGO’s, private
philanthropists. Similarly, private groups need to understand that preservation of our
cultural assets is a shared responsibility and not the burden of the government alone.

The Modi government’s emphasis on ‘ease of doing business’ needs to taken forward so
that officials can actively seek private partnership and funding, rather than viewing all
private effort with suspicion. Incentives such as tax and customs fee waiver for significant
objects brought back and for funds utilised for conservation will no doubt pay handsome
dividends in the form of revenue generated directly and indirectly by increasing visitors
numbers. India’s heritage has the economic potential to contribute significantly to the
country’s GDP – just as Italy’s does. This however will happen only with appropriate
investments across the country.

Ratish Nanda, Conservation Architect, is CEO, Aga Khan Trust for Culture in India