Newsworthy Heritage

Spare a thought for heritage 
 Neha Walia

Ignored, alienated, desperate and waiting to be rescued. That's not the summary of another episode of Desperate Housewives, but the pulse of 'city beautiful', which with all its glory and glamour is being pushed towards a forced makeover in the name of development.
How proud did we feel with the possibility of 'Heritage City' tag? So much so that we stopped caring about its heritage!
If small things make a big difference, its time for an attempt to re-discover, revive and see Chandigarh that once was.
"Participation is the shortest and simplest solution. We need to develop a sense of involvement and set an example by taking proactive steps. Once we volunteer, the activism follows," says Gaurav Chabra, director, Humlog.
And his campaign to preserve the heritage sites of the city did make a difference to an ignored and hidden structure in Sector 34.
As many as 20 youngsters from varied backgrounds joined hands to clean up the area around the concrete structure, which is the foundation stone of Sector 34. "On a Sunday morning, I felt a deep sense of commitment. I took a small step of cleaning up the entire area along with others. We will now be converting a lost site into a culturally alive space,' shares Moonstar Kaur Doad, a sustainability activist who participated in the drive.
And it's not about cleaning up places and preaching activism only, but just taking note of the little things that we are losing out on with each passing day. Such as reclaiming our open spaces, using alternative methods to let the city take a break from increasing traffic and just lending a hand to those who take that first step forward!
MN Sharma, the first Indian chief architect of the city, says, "Historians and research scholars from all over the world come to study the most modern city designed by Le Corbusier who had once remarked 'citizens are the guardians of the city'. If people here were more civic conscious, the city would have retained its original character. Even now it's possible if the growth is monitored properly, otherwise we will be like any other town. We need to be vigilant."
A similar attempt was made at the 'open hand' monument. But there is still something missing when it comes to owning the responsibility. "The most convenient way to come out of your own lack of commitment is by asking what can we do? I say, just brainstorm, and then go ahead and do it," says Moonstar.
"On various structures all over the city there are motifs ranging from indigenous animals to abstract figures. All of them represent the culture, spirit and vision of Chandigarh. However not many people are aware of this," she adds.
Talk about Gorilla farming, ownership of open spaces by people, making travel through public transport fashionable and activism a 'cool' thing … maybe we hit it right!
"A lot of interest has been shown by the Le Corbusier Foundation, Paris, for the cause of Chandigarh. In the context of Unesco's heritage status, we should leave for future generations a link to our common culture," says Sharma.
As for the rest, remember what Gandhi said: Be the Change.
nehawalia@tribunemail.com