: Thursday, May 20, 2021, 2:30 AM IST
A spanking new Central Vista is the furthest thing on peopleâs minds, for crying out loud, writes Bhavdeep Kang
The governmentâs view appears to be informed by the RSSâs âPositivity Unlimitedâ campaign; by 2022, with the vaccine rollout complete, India will be on the other side of Covid and will need a positive relational symbol to overcome the fallout.
The trouble with this reasoning is the persistence of loss. Crippling grief over the absence of loved ones will not vanish overnight
Proposed Central Vista Project
File photo
The Central Vista, stretching from Raisina Hill to India Gate, has emerged as an ideological and political battlefield, in the backdrop of the raging Covid-19 pandemic. Beyond the tug-of-war between the Opposition and ruling NDA and the posturing of âsecular liberalsâ and âcultural nationalistsâ over the Rs 20,000 crore redevelopment project, what matters is citizensâ
Moving the National Museum: Why the opacity about relocation plans should worry us all scroll.in - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from scroll.in Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts has an extravagant collection of heritage pieces (File)
New Delhi:
Delhi s three iconic buildings - the National Museum, the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), the National Archives Annexe - emblematic of its history and culture are set to be demolished as part of the centre s Rs 20,000 crore Central Vista project that envisages a new Parliament building, and new residences for the Prime Minister and the Vice President.
The other buildings marked for demolition are: Shastri Bhavan, Krishi Bhavan, Vigyan Bhavan, Vice President s Residence, Jawahar Bhavan, Nirman Bhavan, Udyog Bhavan, Raksha Bhavan. The total area to be demolished is 4,58,820 square metres.
The govt. must respond to concerns about demolitions in Central Vista redevelopment
The Government of India’s Central Vista redevelopment project is highly questionable as a national priority at any time, and more so in the midst of a pandemic. The project includes the construction of a new Parliament building, and new residences for the Prime Minister and the Vice President. A new Parliament building is indeed required; and there is a strong case for reorganising the existing offices of the central government. However, the architecture and timelines of the redevelopment as it is happening now are less about the need and more about an imperious obsession with grandeur. The irony is that a colossus built amid the ruins of a pandemic could turn out to be a monument to the government’s disregard for public good. The misplaced determination of the Centre to complete the project before the next Lok Sabha election in 2024 is characteristic of the showmanship that has befallen governan
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