S Henlly Phom
Dimapur, January 5
A visit to ancient to ancient monuments can help boost tourism of any state or country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pegged tourism as a big-ticket item that will not only boost the economy and infrastructure but also revive Brand India. The government in fact has asked all states to suggest areas which could be developed into tourist or religious circuits.
But in Dimapur, ancient monument of the Kacharis, famously known as Rajbari located at Supermarket in Dimapur, are in ruins.
Talking to Eastern Mirror, an official of Kachari Rajbari Preservation Committee (KRPC) said maintenance of the monument has been started with a fund of Rs 7.7 lakh allotted by the Guwahati Circle of Monument department. The usually crowded Rajbari now wears a deserted look with the ongoing restoration work.
He said Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Horticulture division, Bhubaneswar has also sanctioned Rs 10 lakh to make a garden inside the historical monument so as to give it a facelift.
However, lack of interest from the department concerned and the citizens in preserving the monument contributed to its ruins. This is what the KRPC official had to say while one can guess about its condition by taking a look around the area.
According to the official of KRPC, even trees planted inside the historical site are cut down by people at midnight for their domestic use while garbage is dumped inside it and right at the entrance, giving an unpleasant sight to visitors.
He said ASI, Guwahati Circle, more than the citizens, has been neglecting the ancient site without taking any measure to preserve it. Because of this, the public too makes no effort in respecting the place, he added. He said though efforts are being taken to preserve the place by the KRPC, they always face criticism even from tourists visiting it.
The area is always piled up with garbage right at the entrance, inside the site and its surroundings. With collective efforts from KRPC and Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC), the place is always being cleaned but in vain as within a few minutes the public starts dumping garbage paying no heed to the notice board put up for its preservation. They also made an effort to clean the area three times prior to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit in December, but that too turned futile.
The place is mostly visited by people who do not show a civic sense in preserving the age-old monument and instead are out in destroying it.
