HERITAGE HASSLES: Clive House makeover leaves tenants homeless

The Archaeological Survey of India has taken up the challenge of restoring the lost beauty of Clive House, the oldest monument of Kolkata. This despite vehement protests from the illegal occupants at the site. Satrajit Sen and Jahirul Haque provide an overview Satrajit Sen and Jahirul Haque Kolkata, May 24: “Building condition is in danger... Don’t go inside” — reads a signboard outside the oldest monument of Kolkata, the Clive House, also known as the “Bada Kothi”. Built by Robert Clive before the invasion of Siraj-ud-dullah, the historical monument today wears a beleaguered look. Shorn of the dazzle and the past grandeur, it is now a refuge to unauthorised dwellers who have been living there for more than 45 years now. With the Archaeological Survey of India taking up the challenge to restore its past beauty, the illegal occupants at the site are faced with the threat of losing their shelter and injure themselves while portions of the building are rebuilt. What the occupants say The people staying in the building are living precariously as the entire structure may cave-in any moment. Even the entrance to the building is not safe, said some of them. “ We have been residing here for the past 40 years. They can’t just throw us out like that,” says an aged person, residing there for the last 35 years. Though the occupants are aware of the historical significance of the monument, they equally value their lives. “ We are not against the facelift of the heritage structure, but we should be rehabilitated before the reconstruction work begins,” said a resident. Earlier, there were several families occupying the main building of Clive House, but as it started to collapse, some of them built their own houses illegally in the adjacent plots inside the campus. “ We were left with no other alternative,” said Anal Majumder, a tenant. People from different walks of life constitute the occupants at the Clive House, including daily wage labourers to government employees. “ All of us are from the lower middle class families and it is impossible for us to go for better and more luxurious alternatives,” says another tenant. The occupants have voiced their ire against the Archeological Survey of India and the South Dum Dum Municipality, the joint owner of the plot, for not responding to their pleas. What Archaeological Survey of India officials say The Archaeological Survey of India took up the excavation work in 2001-2002. Interestingly, it unveiled traces of earlier settlements at the site even before the building was constructed. Antiques, including potteries, ornaments, terracotta, sculptures, perhaps, belonging to the post-Gupta period were discovered. According to the Archaeological Survey of India sources, the settlements dated even before the Christian missionaries came to India. The excavation of the Dum Dum mound unfolded secrets that lend great insight into the history of Kolkata. All this adds a greater significance to the site and indicates the need for an immediate facelift to the structure. “It is our duty to restore and preserve the history of Kolkata and of the country as well,” said Dr Bimal Bandopadhyay, superintendent archaeologist, ASI. He said that the ASI doesn’t have the authority to expel occupants from the site and thus have intimated south Dum Dum Municipal Corporation to do the needful. “The site was inaccessible and the lawlessness of the residents had transformed the site into a virtual litterbin. Walls were built indiscriminately within the Clive House precincts and the whole structure has now been brought to shape,” says Bandopadhyay. He said that if everything goes well, the building could be recognised as a major tourist spot in next 3-4 years. The present condition The building, at present, looks shabby as the revamp work is under process. The remaining portion of the building still hangs precariously, bricks jutting out of the walls that may fall anytime claiming lives. The sanitation arrangements are inadequate and the drains are chocked. The overflowing wastes pollute the atmosphere and the entire area is unclean and unhygienic. The stench and the wastes adds to the plight of the residents of the Clive’s colony adjacent to the main building. “We have to face a lot of problems, but we are helpless,” said a resident of the area. What history says The site used to be a favourite spot for Europeans who used to visit the city aeons ago. In fact, the name Dum Dum came from the Persian word “Damdama”, meaning a mound. The place though initially was called Damdama, the Clive House was named the Dumdum House. But the natives preferred to call it the “Killa” or the Fort. According to historians, the Clive Hall was possibly a Dutch or Portuguese factory and after the battle of Plassey, Lord Clive made the main building his country house introducing some changes to the architectural patterns. Some historians are even of the opinion that a historical treaty between the Europeans and the Nawab of Bengal was signed in that very building. During the later part of the 18th century, it became a hub for the Europeans and a number of colonial buildings sprang up in the same area. The mound It was believed that the mound was artificially built by importing soil from elsewhere but the excavations proved otherwise. The mound measures 200m long and 75m broad approximately. The Clive House is a reminder of the hey days of the glorious European rule in India. Kolkata, being the capital then, buildings like the Clive House were a pride of the city and thecolonial empire. Ravaged by time and the constant onslaughts of nature, the historic building had long been reeling under neglect. And the Archaeological Survey of India has stepped in at the right time to restore the vanished beauty of the site and salvage the pride of the city that has been long been synonymous with ancient monuments as precious as the Clive Hall. Original Post: http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=184370