Onus on citizens to bring pressure on Government to save Mysuru’s over 600 heritage structures Mysuru: A new Heritage Committee will be formed with the active involvement of citizens to save the crumbling heritage structures of Mysuru. The Committee will be formed by Mysore Grahakara Parishat (MGP) and will have heritage experts, students from engineering and architectural colleges, global conservationists and architects. This was decided at a meeting on heritage buildings conducted by MGP at its Office in Yadavagiri here yesterday. The initiative will involve the citizens of Mysuru and the student community. The meeting was attended by Prof. N.S Rangaraju, retired Professor from the Department of Ancient History and Archaeology, University of Mysore, who is also a Member of the Heritage Conservation Committee, Government of Karnataka and Convener of INTACH, Mysuru Chapter and former Dean of Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Dr. Syed Shakeeb- Ur-Rahman and other stakeholders.
Lack of interest Speaking to Star of Mysore this morning, the Founding President of MGP Bhamy V. Shenoy said that there is an absolute lack of maintenance of heritage structures in Mysuru and neither the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) nor the State Government nor the Department of Archaeology, Heritage and Museums are showing any interest in conserving the heritage structures. For example, the Devaraja Market imbroglio has not been resolved yet. No efforts have been made to conserve the heritage structure and it is dying a slow death. The Lansdowne Building is already in shambles and here too, no efforts for restoration have been made. As none of the authorities is interested in conservation, the onus must shift on citizens to bring pressure on them, he added. Pressure group “We have already contacted global heritage conservationists like an expert from IIT Madras, who is the consultant for the conservation of the Angkor Wat Temple Complex in Cambodia requesting him to be a part of the Committee. Also, we will involve the students of engineering and architectural colleges of Mysuru and will create a pressure group to influence the Government to act on the falling heritage buildings,” Bhamy Shenoy explained. “Though many heritage structures have fallen in Mysuru there is no sign of their restoration despite many public movements. The Department of Archaeology, Heritage and Museums has initiated a survey of 131 buildings by the District Heritage Committee but there is an additional 165 heritage structures and no one is talking about them,” he regretted.
When asked how the MGP Heritage Committee will be different from the already existing District Heritage Committee, Bhamy Shenoy said that the District Heritage Committee has been constituted by the State Government and has a limited scope. “This Committee can only recommend but has no say in other aspects. Its scope is limited and it cannot go against the Government. The MGP Heritage Committee, on the other hand, will be an activist group that will drive home the urgency of conservation and exert pressure on the authorities to act. We want to involve the public so that interest can be created on conservation so that it becomes a people’s movement,” he added. “During the meeting, Prof. Rangaraju revealed that as per the latest assessment, there were nearly 600 heritage buildings in Mysuru but only 131 have been notified as heritage buildings. We were told that in the absence of strict regulations, the structures are under threat,” Bhamy Shenoy added. Note: As there are living monuments and dead monuments, it is necessary to make a “distinction” between the heritage structures as usable for the purpose for which it is built and non-usable meant for tourist attraction. In Mysuru we have buildings like Devaraja Market and Lansdowne building that are usable and those like the ornamental Government House main Northern Gate, Nazarbad, that is non-usable. Now the question is: Should we conserve and restore the highly dilapidated Devaraja Market and Lansdowne building, which are to be opened for the use of millions of people on daily basis or not? If they are to be opened for the public as Market after such heritage resto-ration work, then the common sense will say restoration work will not work. The only way is to demolish and construct anew as per the old (heritage) architectural design. As for the Gate, it might be restored and thus conserved, as no footfalls are involved being an
ornamental structure. Those who have seen Angkor Wat know that it is a dead monument, conservation work happening on regular basis and open to tourists only. Do not waste time, money and risk life. — Ed By Bhamy V. Shenoy MGP To Stage Satyagraha Against ‘Bad Governance ‘On Jan. 29 Mysore/Mysuru: The Mysore Grahakara Parishat (MGP) has called for a Satyagraha on Jan. 29 from 9 am to 6 pm to sensitise people, elected representatives, high-ranking and decision-making officers on the importance of saving Mysuru to Mysureans in the wake of systematic and blatant destruction and violations in the name of development.
“The novel strategy is to hold a unique kind of Satyagraha. Every Mysurean (excepting those who are needed for essential services like doctors, nurses, Police, etc) must stop using any kind of vehicles on Jan. 29 between 9 am and 6 pm. During these hours, they should not shop or visit restaurants (a kind of self-imposed lockdown like the ones observed during the peak of COVID pandemic),” said Founding President of MGP Dr. Bhamy V. Shenoy. Addressing reporters at Pathrakartara Bhavan yesterday morning, he said that they are organising the Satyagraha against bad governance. “Mysuru’s roads are not safe and 170 deaths took place in 2022 versus 121 in 2021, footpaths are encroached upon in many places, lakes especially Kukkarahalli Lake are close to their death bed and parks are encroached upon in the name of providing civic amenities. These are just a few examples of bad governance,” he said. “At a time when Karnataka Parks Act prohibits any construction, all the 525 parks in Mysuru are seeing systematic destruction and unfortunately, it is the elected representatives who are behind the destruction and they do not care. Less said the better about Chamundi Hill where in the name of promoting commercial tourism, its heritage as a spiritual centre is destroyed and biodiversity is under attack. If this is not bad governance, then what is it,” Bhamy Shenoy questioned. On the day of the Satyagraha, people can visit parks or take walks. Those who are seriously dedicated to our cause can assemble at parks to sit-in for one or two hours as part of the Satyagraha to register their protest. The main requirement of Satyagraha is to resist commercial activities on that day, he added.
“Unlike other protests, we are not asking anyone to close shops or restaurants. Participating is totally voluntary and this is really a people’s movement. We want to wake up the authorities, especially all the elected representatives, DC, SP, Special Commissioners and CEOs and other top officials who have scant regard for Mysuru, its heritage and biodiversity and who are hell- bent on destroying them in the name of development,” Bhamy Shenoy said. Opposition to stadium land MGP Working President Shobhana said that the MGP has opposed the Karnataka State Cricket Association’s International Cricket Stadium that is proposed at Hanchya-Sathagalli. “ In the 20-acre land that has been earmarked by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority, there was a lake named Kananakatte. We demand the rejuvenation of the Lake and the land for the stadium can be allotted elsewhere,” she said. There was another lake nearby called the Megalakatte Lake and a PU College is coming up after eating away the water body. “We want this water body to be rejuvenated,” she added. Citizens hold satyagraha demanding better governance at various locations in Mysuru An initiative launched by the Mysuru Grahakara Parishat, it was supported by various groups who sat in satyagraha at nine different locations to highlight the failure of the authorities in living up to the public expectations January 29, 2023 Hindu
Pamphlets were distributed to explain the rationale for satyagraha held by different groups at multiple locations in Mysuru on Sunday, January 29. | Photo Credit: M.A. SRIRAM Multiple groups of citizens conducted a peaceful satyagraha at different locations in the city on Sunday, January 29, highlighting the administrative collapse and seeking better governance from the authorities. An initiative launched by the Mysuru Grahakara Parishat, it was supported by various groups who sat in satyagraha at nine different locations to highlight the failure of the authorities in living up to the public expectations. The citizens assembled at different public parks and discussed the issue and highlighted key failures in their respective areas as part of the satyagraha. Dr. V. Prakash, former director of CFTRI, said he was supporting the cause as Mysuru matters to the people and it was the
responsibility of the people to ensure that the city was governed. He said, ”If Mysuru matters to us, we should also matter more to Mysuru and people should be more proactive. Though we took the cleanest city tag, the challenge is to take the best governed city tag, ”said Mr. Prakash. Youngsters should take the lead though the senior citizens will also be part of it, he added. Bhamy V. Shenoy, founding president of the MGP said the satyagraha stems from a general all-round decline in civic affairs and governance by the Mysuru City Corporation. He said Mysuru roads are not safe and there were 170 deaths in 2022 as against 121 deaths in 2021 while footpaths were encroached in many places. Similarly, the lakes which provided the much-needed lung space including the Kukkarahalli Kere were in bad state or being encroached upon while Chamundi Hills was fast turning into a concrete jungle. The MCC was not sparing even the public parks where constructions are being taken up in violation of the law all of which are examples of bad governance, said Mr. Shenoy. Satyagrahas were conducted at Netaji Nagar near Ganapathy temple by Parisara Balaga at KRS led by activist Banu Mohan, at Satgalli, Vijayanagar 3 rd stage, LIC Colony Srirampura, Shivaji Park at N.R.Colony, Jayanagar Park, Vijayanagar 4 th stage, Lingambudhi Lake etc. Citizens Meet In Many City Parks For Satyagraha: Speak Against Destruction Of Chamundi Hill, Parks
