With the Demolition of the National Museum, India Stands to Lose a Piece of its History
Ananya Vajpeyi | 28 October 2023 | The Wire
National Museum in New Delhi. Photo: Wikimedia commons
Ever since the Modi administration announced a plan for the redevelopment of the Central Vista in 2019, there has been growing public worry about the protection and preservation of the capital’s prime heritage zone along with its institutions, monuments, parks and roads. It appears that the Master Plan aims to “modernise” New Delhi by obliterating the aesthetic imprimatur of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
From its very inception, the Central Vista Redevelopment Plan (CVRP) has attracted criticisms and objections from art historians, urban planners, heritage experts, architects, conservationists, writers, artists, curators, activists, environmentalists, opposition leaders and concerned citizens. Thus far, these concerns have not been adequately addressed – neither in the media, nor in the courts, nor in the parliament.