Sir,
Dr. Javeed Nayeem in his weekly column ‘Over a Cup of Evening Tea’ dated Aug.16, while chronicling on the sad neglect by the authorities regarding heritage structures, has now touched on the collapse of the front portion of more than 110- year-old Fire Brigade heritage structure way back in 2019.
In this connection he has traced the history of holding exhibition at various venues and has mentioned that the Fire Brigade was also one of the venues which is a revelation. He has also mentioned about his part as a young boy giving very interesting details of his prowess as a marksman.
By now Mysureans are accustomed to become hapless witness of the brazen indifference of Government authorities to put off for years to take timely restoration of those magnificent heritage structures of Lansdowne Building and Devaraja Market. Instead they appear to have intentionally delayed taking prompt action for years by referring interminably to various technical committees so that the building will collapse by itself and that a new building can be built in its place.
It is public knowledge why this delaying tactics are adopted. The great tragedy is that they remain beyond the pale of accountability of their criminal negligence. Wonder why the courts too did not intervene suo motu to question the Government of its negligence because it is an issue of great public importance for the preservation of heritages of the unique city like Royal Mysore.
In this connection it strikes me that perhaps if both Gouri Satya, who writes frequently about the heritage of Mysuru and Dr.Javeed Nayeem, who unearths so many interesting history of Mysuru, join forces to come up with a book, they would do a great service to enrich the history of Mysuru.
– H.R. Bapu Satyanarayana, Saraswathipuram, 18.8.2021
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Dear Mr. Bapu sathyanarayana ,
Your comments are quite right and appropriate. A PIL filed by some of us including Sri. Gouri Satya is still pending before Karnataka HC. Though a temporary stay is on but you are right when you says : they appear to have intentionally delayed taking prompt action for years by referring interminably to various technical committees so that the building will collapse by itself and that a new building can be built in its place…
Relax guys. Look at where Mysuru is heading towars as a city. With express ways emerging, the city is expanding towards Srirangagapattana and beyond, the quiet surrounding of Chamundi Hill emerging as a housing estate, mere lip sympathies pointing out dilapidated buildings sounds like a keyboard exercise. One could see the ese so called dilapidated heritage buildings replaced with concrete multistory car parks. That is the reality in India whose population is adding one Australia every year.
Interesting that this heritage warrior Javeed Nayeem does not allow any comments to question the premise behind what he writes in a country which allows freedom of expression and discussion Compare this with Gowri Sathya’s article and the comments which he entertains.
You can see a genuine passion there.
Not every old bilding is a heritage building. Devaraja market priced itself out when local markets sprung up, and Mysuru expanded with extensions miles away from this market-which meant to be a central vegetable and fruit shopping mainly. The Lansdowne building in another way, rendered itself unsuitable with its shoe box-sizedshops which had no room for expansion. Geeta Book house which started its life there, had to move out as a result and similarly other small businesses. The deserted building looked a crumbling eyesore. For a time, job typists occupied the corridors and even they moved out. The large second hand bookshop owned by Murthy found it difficult to stored the second hand books arriving.
Expanding population of Mysuru with its massively improved rail, road and air links with the car-loving Mysoreans means more pressure for old buildings, particularly on the land where they stay crumbled. Best to focus, if one has sense, to the really heritage structures of cultural value.