The Karnataka High Court’s interim stay on demolition of Devaraja Market and Lansdowne Building proposed by the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) has come as a shot in the arm of conservation in the city.
Though it is a temporary reprieve pending final disposal of the petition, heritage activists have welcomed the stay and pointed out that there is no immediate danger of demolition. They said the stay will be perceived as a disapproval of the manner in which the local body brushed aside the advise of the heritage committee members who were not taken into confidence.
N.S. Rangaraju, convener, INTACH, Mysuru, and one of the members of the heritage committee said though it is an interim order, it is a big relief as demolition cannot take place until disposal of the case.
What is important is that the order will serve as a caution to the local authorities in case they entertain similar thoughts with regard to other buildings most of which have no protection. Though Mysuru has nearly 500 heritage structures, only 198 buildings have been notified and have a semblance of protection, he added. In case of the Devaraja Market and Lansdowne Building, though the multiple committees of heritage experts spoke in favour of conserving the market, the MCC brushed aside their views and favoured demolition.
“The immediate fallout of the High Court stay is that it has strengthened the Heritage Committee,” according to Rangaraju who is also a retired professor from the Department of Ancient History and Archaeology, University of Mysore.
Eichnur Kumar, a heritage activist and member of the Heritage Committee, said MCC was displaying an unusual haste in the manner in which it wanted to go ahead with the demolition. But thankfully the High Court order means that the elected body cannot bulldoze alternative views or opt for demolition of heritage structures without considering other views, he said.
“Some of the buildings may not be architecturally unique but they are associated with important persons whose contribution to the cultural fabric of the city is immense,” Mr. Kumar added.
