Heritage generally refers to something we have inherited from our ancestors. It is used to relate to cultural heritage, natural heritage, virtual heritage, heritage canals, heritage routes, etc. Underwater heritage and movable heritage have also been seriously considered in recent years. UNESCO, in its convention held in 1972, noted that cultural and natural heritages are increasingly threatened with destruction not only by decay but also by the changing social and economic conditions, which aggravate the situation. In view of the magnitude and gravity of the new dangers threatening them, it is incumbent on the international community to participate in the protection of heritage of outstanding value.

UNESCO has defined ‘cultural heritage’ as

• Monuments, sculpture and paintings, elements or structures of an archaeological nature, inscriptions, cave dwellings, and combinations of features which are of outstanding universal value from the point of view of history, art or science;

• Groups of buildings, groups of separate or connected buildings which, because of their architecture, their homogeneity or their place in the landscape, are of outstanding universal value from the point of view of history, art or science; and

• Works of man or the combined works of nature and man, and areas including archaeological sites which are of outstanding universal value from the historical, aesthetic, ethnological or anthropological point of view.

‘Natural heritage’ has been ­defined as

• Natural features consisting of physical and biological formations or groups of such formations, which are of outstanding universal value from the aesthetic or scientific point of view;

• Geological and physio­graphical formations and precisely delineated areas, which constitute the habitat of threatened species of animals and plants of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation; and

•Natural sites from the point of view of science, conservation or natural beauty.

‘Digital heritage’, also called ‘e-heritage’, refers to computer- based materials of enduring value that should be kept for future generations. Understanding that the digital heritage is at risk of being lost and that its preservation for the benefit of the present and future generations is an urgent issue of worldwide concern, UNESCO proclaimed certain principles and adopted a Charter in 2003. Virtual systems and multimedia pioneered the field of virtual heritage over a decade ago. UNESCO’s strategy includes conservation of movable heritage and museums.

‘Underwater cultural heritage’ encompasses all traces of human existence that lie or were lying under water and had a cultural or historical character. UNESCO elaborated it in its convention held in 2001 on the protection of underwater cultural heritage.

Noting that the ‘cultural heritage’ has changed content considerably in recent decades, UNESCO adopted, on June 24, 2010 directives on the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage. Cultural heritage does not end with monuments and collections of objects but also includes traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants, such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge, and practices concerning nature and the universe or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts.

In India

Rapid urbanisation has brought immense pressure on land and resources. These changes have brought about the destruction of many priceless buildings and built environs, and have resulted in the loss of traditional building methods and skills.

The existing infrastructure and supporting legislation are all directed towards new development in both planning and construction. These laws are inadequate in protecting the vast cultural heritage of this country. A new, urgent and alternative approach is required to ensure that what is left of our valuable inheritance is not lost forever. This approach will acknowledge conservation as an integral part of and not contradictory to development.

Recognition of the need to protect and conserve ‘heritage’ and environs is the aim and thrust of a Heritage Act. Sensing the need for such an Act, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) started a heritage movement and drafted a model Act as early as 1990 and urged State regulations governing buildings and environs declared to be architecturally and historically important to the public.

The Heritage Act, as conceived by INTACH, aimed to ensure the following:

For buildings:

Listed buildings cannot be demolished, altered, or left to wanton decay.

Physical intervention to the interior and interior structures may be permitted but need to be monitored.

For environs:

The declaration of an area as a Heritage Zone alerts town planners to the special needs of those areas. Special development rules would need to be drafted to regulate development and protect the character of the Heritage Zone.

Local delays

Observing the delay in bringing legislation separately for protection and conservation of heritage buildings and precincts, I had once suggested amendment to the Local Bodies Act to protect and conserve heritage buildings and precincts. No definitive move towards this direction has happened yet. In a seminar on Heritage Buildings/Precincts in the Chennai Metropolitan Area held on October 8, 2010, the then Minister and Chairman of the CMDA announced that a “Heritage Act” was under active consideration of the Government and would be enacted soon. However, the aspiration of the public for a Heritage Act remains unfulfilled.

Notwithstanding plans to enact legislation on heritage, the CMDA, by making use of the Second Master Plan, started adopting a regulatory process for conservation of heritage. A Committee was constituted to go in to the subject of ‘Heritage’ and, at the first instance, prepare a list of buildings of historical and/or architectural importance and cultural value. However, this exercise is limited to only the Chennai Metropolitan Area. In the absence of implementation of Master Plans for the State’s other cities and no provisions made in the Local Body Act for introducing a regulatory process for protecting and conserving heritage buildings/precincts, it is all the more important to enact legislation on heritage at the earliest, with the scope:

– To list and document heritage for protection, management and conservation;

– To prepare heritage conservation plans and projects with a focus on urban heritage;

– To create and strengthen the institutional set-up and carry out necessary capacity building on heritage conservation;

– To take measures for adaptive re-use of heritage buildings; and

– To use urban heritage to revitalise cities’ economies and urban built environment for a better quality of life.

Under the provisions of this Act, a multi-disciplinary technical committee should be formed to work out rules of heritage conservation and to evaluate and approve potential listed buildings and environs submitted to them.

The conservation regulations should form a part of the Heritage Act.

There should be provision for budgetary support by the State and Local Governments for conservation of heritage subjects as and when listed.

After the Assembly election in April 2011, a new Government has come to power and moved to Fort St. George, a Heritage precinct.

I hope the long-awaited Heritage Act for Tamil Nadu will be enacted by it in 2011/2012. (Courtesy: Our Building and Construction)

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Madras Day/Week (August 21-28) is already getting underway with two contests and a participatory programme already announced by Mylapore Times. One competition is to design a ‘T-shirt for Chennai’. The other is a contest for school students which encourages them to explore less known heritage places in the city and present each as a project.

Designers and creative people, besides students of art, design and film, can take part in the T-shirt contest. The prize-winner not only gets a cash prize of Rs.3000 and a certificate, but is also invited to help use or redesign the work to be used on the ‘Chennai T-shirt’ of 2012 which will be offered to the public at a nominal price. This contest closes on August 5th.

The contest for students invites city schools to create teams of three each which will each choose a heritage spot / trend / milestone and research, record and jot down all that helps to create a great power point production. The teams will then meet on August 23rd at a hall in Luz for the contest. Last year, 21 schools took part and the top three took home trophies, gifts and certificates. Entry has to be made at the school level. Extensive information on these contests is posted at www.themadrasday.in.

Mylapore Times is also encouraging making documentaries in English/Tamil on Madras that is Chennai. About its people and places, its landmarks and its institutions, its life-trends and its communities. The best of the documentaries will be screened at a festival during the Madras Day/Week celebrations in August.

The project for 2011 is now open to students of VisComm and Media, Film and Botany and History, to young film-makers, artists and writers and journalists, to anyone who loves Chennai and is capable of making small films.

The selection: You must submit any form of creative material that proves your interest in the city / film documentation / media. You can send us rough cut film material or just photos or articles. You must also tell us in 100 words the subject on Chennai you would like to document on film. You should submit your application by July 25th.

Those who qualify will then have to submit a film plan and script. The best four selected will be paid Rs. 9,000 each to make the film and Rs. 3,000 each when the film is submitted to Mylapore Times by August 25th.

Note: Only one person who plans to produce/direct the documentary should apply. He/she in turn can employ others for shooting/editing/sound design, etc. Mylapore Times can help with research material, inputs, sources, etc.

Screening: All films will be screened in late August/mid- September in Chennai at a FESTIVAL.

Contact: 98410 49155. Email-themadrasday@gmail.com

Other early starters are Asan Memorial School, which has planned a week-long celebration shortly before Madras Week, and the Rotary Club of Madras South, which has a speaker on a Madras-focussed subject at every meeting in ­August.

Chennai Heritage is planning a talk every day during the Week. Chamiers, Taj Club House, Amethyst, Savera, Park Sheraton and the Gymkhana Club have already agreed to host the talks. Speakers will include Prabha Sridevan, Harry Maclure, Mohan Raman, Geeta Doctor, P. Unnikrishnan and K.R.N. Menon in dialogue.

Chennai Heritage will also lead several walks in little visited areas of Madras. Namma Mylapore has planned guided tours of DakshinaChitra and the Museum’s Bronze Gallery led by Chitra Madhavan. And Nizhal is planning two tree walks in parks and a ‘Trees of Madras’ exhibition for children.

The Madras Naturalists’ Society is also planning a couple of excursions to take in the birds and ‘wild life’ of the city’s suburbs and the Mylapore Times has several programmes for the Mylapore area. Namma Arcot Road too is planning a host of events, including a whole-day programme at the Green Park Hotel.

Pradeep Chakravarthy is planning temple walks every week during August, and Revathy and Nandini have several programmes tied up for the Kilpauk-Purasawalkam area. The Roja Muthiah Research Library intends to host several talks in Tamil during the Week together with an exhibition based on its collection. INTACH-Chennai Chapter is putting together several events in which numerous schools are expected to participate. SOS Village, Tambaram, has planned several programmes. So has the Association of British Scholars.

And the Murugappa Group is planning to have a grand inter-schools quiz for ‘Madras 372’.

The August 1st issue of Madras Musings will have details of all these events and many more. And the August 16th issue will include a comprehensive guide to all the ‘Madras Week’ events that plan to stretch into a month.

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