A conservation manual, drafted by the ordinary citizen , Pg6

Key Highlights:

• Prime Minister Modi has urged citizens to preserve the memory of those who overthrew colonial rule in his Independence Day addresses.
• The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) primarily focuses on selecting, isolating, repairing, and occasionally polishing monuments.
• A new conservation manual is needed to articulate a more thoughtful and holistic approach to the conservation of ASI monuments.
• John Marshall’s Conservation Manual (1923) advocated extensive repair of ancient monuments and reshaping their immediate surroundings into gardens.

Detailed Insights:

• Current conservation frameworks are rooted in historical contexts, with colonial officers cataloging edifices to govern communities effectively.
• Despite efforts, many protected monuments are deteriorating, and the recommendations of the 2014 conservation policy are irregularly followed.
• Lessons from Mahatma Gandhi’s Sarvodaya can inspire the new ASI conservation manual to improve the lives of those living around and visiting monuments.
• The new manual should emphasize linkages between monuments and surrounding elements like water bodies, fields, and settlements.
• The new manual should encourage the conservation of small, half-forgotten ancient monuments, which can have multiple benefits for communities.
• The new manual may propose that it is more important to restore a haveli’s natural ventilation systems than to regularly repaint its façade.
• Citizens can shape a new conservation manual by becoming more aware of their own locations and actions and educating themselves about the language of the stones.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Conservation: The preservation, protection, or restoration of something, especially of the natural or built environment.
• Archaeological Survey of India (ASI): The Indian government agency responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural monuments in the country.
• Sarvodaya: A term coined by Mahatma Gandhi, meaning "welfare of all" or "upliftment of all".