[Marxistindia] Stop Privatising India’s Heritage

[news from the cpi(m)]

April 28, 2018

Press Statement

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the
following statement:

Stop Privatising India’s Heritage

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) expresses its opposition to the
agreement (MOU) arrived at  between the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of
Culture and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and Dalmia Bharat
Limited which virtually hands over the iconic Red Fort in Delhi to the
Dalmia group for a period of five years in exchange for a  payment of 25
crores.

The Dalmia group in its own press release has said that they will ‘have to
own if for five years initially’ and the contract gives them the freedom
to make the Dalmia brand prominently visible.  It has the right to use its
brand name on all kinds of publicity material to be displayed during
events organized at the site and also on all signage. In fact, it will be
allowed to proclaim in a prominently displayed sign that the Red Fort has
been ‘adopted by Dalmia Bharat Limited’.

It must be remembered that the Red Fort is not just one of many heritage
sites in our country.  It is the place where the National Flag was hoisted
in commemoration of the place that the Fort occupies in the history of our
freedom struggle.  The first Proclamation of Indian Independence from
British rule was read out from its ramparts by Bahadur Shah Zafar in l857.
Subsequently his trial was held in the Fort.  Some decades later, the
historic INA trial which played such a significant role in the battle for
Indian freedom was held in the Red Fort.  It is this fact that the Red
Fort is a symbol of Independent India that has ensured that on
Independence Day, 15th August, the Prime Minister addresses the nation
with the Fort as his backdrop. Handing over this iconic monument to a
corporate entity is nothing short of blasphemous.

The CPI(M) wishes to remind the Government that the Parliamentary
Committee that went into the issue of handing over heritage sites to
private corporate had decided against this unanimously.  It urges upon the
Government to rescind its decision.


(Hari Singh Kang)
For CPI(M) Central Committee Office