“What surprises me most is the fact that Bengalis, who are so proud of their art and literature, don’t seem to be doing that much to preserve their cultural heritage." (sic!) said UNESCO official.

A house-turned-"heritage property", at Konnagar in Hooghly
A house-turned-"heritage property", at Konnagar in Hooghly © Express Photo by Partha Paul

Heritage buildings and neighbourhoods of Kolkata can only survive if the process of regeneration pays for itself, said UNESCO officials during a two-day workshop organised by it along with the state Information and Cultural department and Indian Heritage Cities Network Foundation on the heritage-based development of Hooghly riverfront here.

Urging for public participation to conserve the city’s heritage properties, Moe Chiba from the division of cultural policies and intercultural dialogue, UNESCO culture sector, said, “We can’t preserve our heritage without creating mass awareness about it. Such movements are very popular in Europe and America and it’s exciting that the citizens of Kolkata are involved in it too.”

“What surprises me most is the fact that Bengalis, who are so proud of their art and literature, don’t seem to be doing that much to preserve their cultural heritage. The Dutch have made heritage preservation a sustainable part of their economy, while India, which is blessed with so much, has failed to do so,” she added.

The workshop also looked at the need to make heritage zones economically viable by developing these properties as performance art and public spaces.

The Indian Express had earlier reported that Kolkata has been in throes of a civil society movement against the rampant destruction of historically and architecturally significant buildings of the city which are not protected by the government.

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