CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VOLUME VI (1) Contemporary-Eurasia-VI-1-engl | Page 83

CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VI (1)
Department of Archeology. Many of the unprotected monuments in
the capital have turned into living quarters. A 600-year-old Lodi era
tomb was recently reported to having been converted into living
quarters, right in the heart of the city. A family had been living in this
tomb for three generations, no less! According to ASI officials, they
had completely turned the ancient monument into private living
quarters with no regard for its heritage status; the walls inside the
gumbad had been painted white in several places; the facade is broken
and in urgent need of attention. After the encroachment was finally
removed by the ASI, this 15th century tomb, standing on a 4.35 metre
high terrace and made of random rubble masonry, has been given the
highest archaeological value by INTACH.
In the month of March, the Times of India carried out a story of
encroachment in Atgah Khan’s tomb located in the Nizamuddin
dargah area of New Delhi. The 16th century mausoleum of Atgah
Khan, husband of one of Akbar’s wet nurses, Ji Ji Angah, rated as “A”
by INTACH in terms of heritage value has been encroached upon by
12 families 42 . According to ASI officials, a strategy is being worked
out to remove the families and rehabilitate them elsewhere. “We have
been unable to evict the occupants till now as they have been
extremely hostile. But now we have been able to communicate with
the families and they are more open to leaving the area”, said an ASI
official. Similar stories of encroachment pour in almost every day.
It is for the protection and preservation of such unprotected
monuments that NGOs such as INTACH step in. INTACH, set up in
the year 1984, works for the preservation and protection of
unprotected monuments, cultural heritage, and awareness building on
such issues 43 . INTACH has shortlisted a number of monuments across
the country and has helped preserve them. Over the last two decades,
with a growing network of 140 voluntary chapters spread across the
country, INTACH has documented and listed nearly 65,000
monuments and sites across 150 cities in 23 states. One of the best
Richi V. and Neha L., At home in Akbar-era ASI-‘protected’ tomb, Times of
India, 5 th March, 2009, p. 1.
43
Monumental Loss: Are We Losing Our Historical Heritage?, April 2009,
http://terragreen.teriin.org/popup.php?section_id=243&category_id=1
42
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