The Tamil Nadu government has opened yet another chapter in its century-old search for a new location for its assembly and secretariat. In August this year, the chief minister announced the decision to move and subsequently the government shortlisted three possible choices for the site. It was later announced that Foreshore Estate near Santhome is the chosen victim, sorry, location. There are several questions that remain unanswered by way of the choice, cost of land acquisition and construction (the estimate of Rs 1200 crores for the entire project seems surprisingly low given that the one at Omandurar Estate cost Rs 1000 crores), the long-term impact and the very feasibility of such a place. The other article on the same page addresses some of those issues. This write up, on the other hand, focuses on what could possibly happen to historic Fort Saint George after the government vacates it. Of course, this question may be a little premature for there are many hurdles to be overcome before, during and as our state’s history has shown us, even after, the construction of a new assembly and secretariat. But it is still worthwhile to list out the possibilities of what could happen to Fort Saint George.

The government vacating the place does not mean that the whole of Fort Saint George will become empty. Other agencies such as the Army, the Navy and the Archaeological Survey of India will continue to remain in occupation of their premises, and presumably remain at loggerheads with each other over the maintenance of the precinct. However, if we assume that there will be one contestant less in the process, namely the government, we may be wrong there. For will the government really vacate the Fort? Most unlikely. With a seemingly insatiable demand for space for its ever-burgeoning departments and ministries, the government may not want to really give up what it already owns, namely the four or five acres comprising the present assembly building, it’s annexe built in 1958, and the Namakkal Kavignar Maligai. It is our surmise that while the present departments in occupation of these buildings will vacate and move over to the new secretariat, others will step in and occupy the space thus vacated. Even during the brief tenure when the DMK government successfully managed to shift the assembly and secretariat to the new buildings at the Omandurar Estate, it handed over the erstwhile facilities to the Department of Tamil Studies. With such a precedent in place, it is very unlikely therefore that the government will simply abandon Fort Saint George.

That said, access to the Fort may become that much easier when it’s high security occupants, namely the chief minister, his ministers and the MLAs leave the place. This should be the opportunity that the Department of Tourism can seize. It needs to come up with a tourist and visitor friendly plan for the place, and look at how it can make Fort St. George a more happening precinct. There are plenty of spaces that are lying empty and which, with some creative repurposing, could be put to earn revenue for whoever owns it. We allude to locations such as the King’s barracks, the Parade Square, the casement barracks, the whole of St. Thomas’ Street, the vast acreage of shrubbery to the rear of the fort and of course, the assembly chamber itself. The Department of Tourism can negotiate with the stakeholders such as the Army, the Navy, the ASI and the Government of Tamil Nadu and share some of the revenue it may generate post restoration by letting out these spaces for events. At a time when the city seems to be awakening to possibilities in heritage precincts for contemporary events, it would be a pity if Fort St. George is left to its fate, with squabbling government departments, poor maintenance and a visitor unfriendly policy.