Modi govt proposal would "undermine" archaeological sites, monuments to become "susceptible" to damage

Counterview Desk

The Union Cabinet decision to amend the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 2010, to allow centrally-funded projects to be set up in the prohibited area of the nationally-protected monuments is likely to adversely impact historical structures of national importance.
Pointing this out, the Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust (SAHMAT), a politico-cultural group formed in the memory of young theatre artiste Safdar Hashmi, who was brutally murdered for performing a street play in Jhandapur, UP, in 1989, has said the amendment allowing new construction in the immediate vicinity of protected properties of national importance would make monuments “most susceptible to heavy vibrations, chemical effects or mechanical stresses.”

The “prohibited areas”, under the current law, is the designated area up to hundred metres from the delineated boundary. Those who have signed the statement include members of the National Monuments Authority (NMA) M Saleem Beg, Meera Das, Bharat Bhushan, Shalini Mahajan, and Pukhraj Maroo, several historians including Romila Thapar and Irfan Habib, well-known theatre and cinema personality MK Raina, art historian Geeta Kapur, well-known artist Vivan Sundaram, and senior economist Prabhat Patnaik.

SAHMAT said, “In most sites, unexcavated structural remains that open up avenues of further research also fall within these prohibited zones. Construction activity of any nature will inflict irreversible damage to the monument as well as to the prospect of future study and understanding of the historic context of the site.”

Safdar Hashmi

Appealing parliamentarians belonging to various political parties to show their “continued resolve to preserve and protect the monuments and sites of national importance”, the statement said, “These are significant part of the soft power of India as also collective universal cultural assets and physical memories of our glorious past.”

The 2010 Act has the stated objective to “preserve, conserve, protect and maintain all ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains declared of national importance, and their surrounding areas up to a distance of 300 metres (or more as may be specified in certain cases) in all directions”.

The Act replaced an ordinance, promulgated that year on January 23, 2010. A committee report, which formed the basis of the Act, had said that “it is no question of expediency or feeling whether we shall preserve the buildings of past time or not.”

The committee had insisted, “We have no right whatever to touch them. They are not ours. They belong to those who built them, partly to all the generations of mankind who follow us.”

Constitution of India, in seventh Schedule declares built heritage as a significant public good.

Comments

Is vaccine the Voldemort of modern medicine to be left undiscussed, unscrutinised?

By Deepika* Sridhar Vembu of Zoho stirred up an internet storm by tweeting about the possible link of autism to the growing number of vaccines given to children in India . He had only asked the parents to analyse the connection but doctors, so called public health experts vehemently started opposing Vembu's claims, labeling them "dangerous misinformation" that could erode “vaccine trust”!

Budgam by-poll to decide if National Conference still holds the ground in J&K

By Raqif Makhdoomi “Zoun ho Zoun ho, PDP’an Zoun ho” — the chant echoes through the streets of Budgam as election fever grips the district. Despite the dipping temperatures, people continue to gather at late-night rallies with enthusiasm. The slogan gained popularity during the 2024 assembly elections when People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti, while campaigning, inadvertently mispronounced it as “Zoon ho Zoon ho,” a moment that went viral and has since become a fixture in local political rallies.

Justice for Zubeen Garg: Fans persist as investigations continue in India and Singapore

By Nava Thakuria* Even a month after the death of Assam’s cultural icon Zubeen Garg in Singapore under mysterious circumstances, thousands of his fans and admirers across eastern India continue their campaign for “ JusticeForZubeenGarg .” A large digital campaign has gained momentum, with over two million social media users from around the world demanding legal action against those allegedly responsible. Although the Assam government has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which has arrested seven people, and a judicial commission headed by Justice Soumitra Saikia of the Gauhati High Court to oversee the probe, public pressure for justice remains strong.

N-power plant at Mithi Virdi: CRZ nod is arbitrary, without jurisdiction

By Krishnakant* A case-appeal has been filed against the order of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others granting CRZ clearance for establishment of intake and outfall facility for proposed 6000 MWe Nuclear Power Plant at Mithi Virdi, District Bhavnagar, Gujarat by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) vide order in F 11-23 /2014-IA- III dated March 3, 2015. The case-appeal in the National Green Tribunal at Western Bench at Pune is filed by Shaktisinh Gohil, Sarpanch of Jasapara; Hajabhai Dihora of Mithi Virdi; Jagrutiben Gohil of Jasapara; Krishnakant and Rohit Prajapati activist of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the MoEF&CC, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and case is kept for hearing on August 20, 2015. Appeal No. 23 of 2015 (WZ) is filed, a...

From the black liberation struggle to exile: The story of Assata Shakur

By Harsh Thakor* Assata Shakur , former member of the Black Liberation Army and a prominent figure in the Black liberation movement , died on September 25 in Havana, Cuba , at the age of 78.

Where are the graphs for the emergency? The missing data behind the climate crisis narrative

By Bhaskaran Raman Ever so often, we are reminded by the media that we are living in a “climate emergency.” This especially happens after every natural disaster, such as after the recent floods in North India. While nature’s fury and its victims are not trifling matters, is there anything new about this that warrants a declaration of “crisis” or “emergency”?

What happens when cricket is turned into 'dharmayudh' between India and others

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* India ‘lost’ the World Cup. Winning or losing is part of the game, but what happens when the game becomes part of the political propaganda and the audiences are not sports lovers but fans who hate others? An Uttar Pradesh daily gave a headline for the final game as ‘dharmyudh’. The game of cricket is being used for political purpose. As cricket is a powerful business in the country, every non-playing dignitary in the game earns much bigger sum than the player.

Govt claims about 'revolutionary' rice varieties raise eyebrows: SC order reserved since Jan '24

By Rosamma Thomas * In a matter of grave importance for agriculture, public health awaits Supreme Court ruling, even as top Government of India bureaucrats stand accused of “willful and deliberate disobedience” of the top court. While a contempt petition filed by Aruna Rodrigues , lead petitioner in the Genetic Modification (GM) of crops matter remains pending in the Supreme Court since July 2025, the Union ministry of agriculture asserts that two home-grown gene edited rice varieties are of superior quality, and hold potential for “revolutionary changes in higher production, climate adaptability, and water conservation.” In May 2025, the Press Information Bureau released a press release stating that a “historic milestone” had been reached, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ; the new varieties, DRR Rice 100 (Kamla) and Pusa DST Rice 1 , the press release stated, offer both benefits – increased production and environmental conservation.

Ex-civil servants warn of ecological disaster, demand fiscal support for Himalayan states

By A Representative The Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG), a collective of 103 former civil servants, has written to Dr. Arvind Panagariya , Chairman of the 16th Finance Commission, urging that the Commission give special consideration to the ecological fragility and economic vulnerability of India’s Himalayan states . The group has called for the creation of a substantial “ Green Fund ” or “Green Bonus” to compensate these states for their contribution to the country’s environmental stability and national well-being.

Search This Blog