Monday, November 19, 2012
Monday, November 12, 2012
Fighting for our forts and govt: apathy
Armed with hundreds of photos of the 400 forts in Maharashtra, activist Shramik Gojamgunde has taken the government to the High Court, blaming them for the dismal state of the forts
November 11, 2012
Mumbai
Moeena Halim
Five years
ago, Shramik Gojamgunde founded the Pune-based Sahyadri Pratishthan, an
organisation to fight for and spread awareness about the conservation
of forts in Maharashtra. Passionate about these forts and their history,
the 35 year-old has taken almost one lakh photographs of the 400 plus
forts in the Sahyadris over the years.
Raigad Fort, believes Prateek Deo, is very well maintained. Pic/Ganesh Pawar
“Even as a child I was very fond of history. I have been visiting
these forts since childhood. Many of them are in very bad shape. Over
the years, we have tried every method possible to get the government to
pay more attention to them but nothing seems to have worked,” rues
Latur-born Gojamgunde. Fed up by the government’s lack of initiative, in
October, Gojamgunde and his organisation filed a Public Interest
Litigation (PIL) in the Bombay High Court against the state and central
government as well as the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
Trees and creepers have overrun onto the fort walls as seen here at Revdanda, complains Gojamgunde. Pics Courtesy/ Shramik Gojamgunde
Among the many demands they have made, Gojamgunde wants the government to prepare a plan along the lines of Delhi’s Red Fort, which will ensure the conservation of all the forts in Maharashtra. “A few years ago a similar complaint was filed against the bad state of the Red Fort. The Supreme Court ruling stated that the government must come up with a comprehensive way to conserve the fort. We want a similar plan in place for the forts in Maharashtra,” says Gojamgunde, who works as a manager at a steel supplier in Pune.
Shramik Gojamgunde takes issue with the maintenance of Underi Fort. The cannons visible in the picture lie in a terrible condition
“The central government has 35 forts under their purview, while the state has 45. Who is responsible for the rest of the forts?” he demands. “What we really need is a special committee appointed to conserve the forts,” he continues.
One exhibition, many andolans
In the past, Sahyadri Pratishthan has organised several andolans and dharnas across the state to awaken the government and get it to allocate more funds to the conservation of the forts. In May 2010, he exhibited the photos he had taken of the forts in a bid to spread awareness. The exhibition made it to the Limca Book of Records, but did nothing to rouse the government.
Volunteers from the Sahyadri Pratishthan lay cement to make steps
“Frustrated, we at Sahyadri Pratishthan attempted to take up conservation ourselves,” says Gojamgunde. “We started clearing the forts of plastic, cigarettes and so on. We cleaned the water tanks at Tikona Fort. We also put up sign boards at Rajmachi and Visapur narrating the history of the forts.” Soon the organisation realised that doing a little at every fort wasn’t enough. They decided to take up one fort at a time.
“We took on Tung Fort, which doesn’t come under the ASI. We put up 10 sign boards there, which provide information about the fort and its history. We also restored the Ganesha temple at the fort,” he says.But Gojamgunde does not claim to know the ideal way to conserve the historical aspects of the forts. “The only reason we are taking on the responsibility is because the government shuns it. If we don’t do anything about these 2,000 year-old forts, they won’t exist 200 years down the line,” he insists.
People reside illegally at Mahim Fort in Mumbai
Worried about the NGO taking things into their own hands, Deepak Dalal, author of children’s book Sahyadri Adventures and an avid trekker, believes that if conservation needs to be done, it should be overseen by a panel of historians. “The idea of one single group of people taking it into their own hands is extremely worrying. These forts should be left as they are. Most forts are weathering perfectly. The only aspect that needs to be fixed is, perhaps, the dangerous entrances,” says Dalal.
Sahyadri Pratishthan has installed 10 signboards at Tung Fort that narrate its history
But Gojamgunde’s complaint against the ASI is that they have not restored the forts in the correct manner. “They have used concrete and cement to restore some of the fort walls, including Kandhar Fort in Naded district and Sewri Fort in Mumbai,” he says.
Blame trekkers, not government
Gojamgunde may blame the government, but trekking enthusiast Prateek Deo believes that it is irresponsible trekkers who are to be blamed for the dilapidated condition of the forts. Deo, who has visited 150 forts over the past 20 years, is working on a documentary on the forts of Maharashtra. His company Life Away From Life has been organising treks to the forts since 1998. “My treks are always accompanied by a history lesson on the forts we visit,” he adds. Some of these forts, explains Deo, were built 2,000 years ago by Portuguese traders and were later used for defence by local Maratha heroes. Several of the forts were later taken over by the British.
“Even if you get the government to spend lakhs, it will be completely pointless unless you teach trekkers and tourists to respect our architectural past. For so many thousands of years they have stood the test of time. If some of the gates are dilapidated it is because the British blasted the fort gates before they left. This can be seen at Trimbakeshwar or Visapur, for instance,” says Deo.
Contrary to Gojamgunde, Deo believes that the ASI has done quite a good job maintaining forts under their purview. “Raigad Fort is very well maintained,” he says. “There’s no need to build a road, or a beautiful wall or boundaries. All we need is to stop littering the fort areas. The only way these ingenious structures will collapse is because of soil erosion, which is bound to take place if we continue to litter.”
What happens next?
Gojamgunde is looking forward to the upcoming weeks. “We have submitted photographs as proof to show the poor condition of some forts as well as photos of the badly-restored forts. The government has till November 29 to submit documents in their defence to Judge Mohit Shah at the Mumbai High Court,” he says, hoping for a positive response from the court
[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[
THE NEXT GENERATIONS WILL BLAME US AND THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF THE FORTS
Raigad Fort, believes Prateek Deo, is very well maintained. Pic/Ganesh Pawar
Trees and creepers have overrun onto the fort walls as seen here at Revdanda, complains Gojamgunde. Pics Courtesy/ Shramik Gojamgunde
Among the many demands they have made, Gojamgunde wants the government to prepare a plan along the lines of Delhi’s Red Fort, which will ensure the conservation of all the forts in Maharashtra. “A few years ago a similar complaint was filed against the bad state of the Red Fort. The Supreme Court ruling stated that the government must come up with a comprehensive way to conserve the fort. We want a similar plan in place for the forts in Maharashtra,” says Gojamgunde, who works as a manager at a steel supplier in Pune.
Shramik Gojamgunde takes issue with the maintenance of Underi Fort. The cannons visible in the picture lie in a terrible condition
“The central government has 35 forts under their purview, while the state has 45. Who is responsible for the rest of the forts?” he demands. “What we really need is a special committee appointed to conserve the forts,” he continues.
In the past, Sahyadri Pratishthan has organised several andolans and dharnas across the state to awaken the government and get it to allocate more funds to the conservation of the forts. In May 2010, he exhibited the photos he had taken of the forts in a bid to spread awareness. The exhibition made it to the Limca Book of Records, but did nothing to rouse the government.
Volunteers from the Sahyadri Pratishthan lay cement to make steps
“Frustrated, we at Sahyadri Pratishthan attempted to take up conservation ourselves,” says Gojamgunde. “We started clearing the forts of plastic, cigarettes and so on. We cleaned the water tanks at Tikona Fort. We also put up sign boards at Rajmachi and Visapur narrating the history of the forts.” Soon the organisation realised that doing a little at every fort wasn’t enough. They decided to take up one fort at a time.
“We took on Tung Fort, which doesn’t come under the ASI. We put up 10 sign boards there, which provide information about the fort and its history. We also restored the Ganesha temple at the fort,” he says.But Gojamgunde does not claim to know the ideal way to conserve the historical aspects of the forts. “The only reason we are taking on the responsibility is because the government shuns it. If we don’t do anything about these 2,000 year-old forts, they won’t exist 200 years down the line,” he insists.
People reside illegally at Mahim Fort in Mumbai
Worried about the NGO taking things into their own hands, Deepak Dalal, author of children’s book Sahyadri Adventures and an avid trekker, believes that if conservation needs to be done, it should be overseen by a panel of historians. “The idea of one single group of people taking it into their own hands is extremely worrying. These forts should be left as they are. Most forts are weathering perfectly. The only aspect that needs to be fixed is, perhaps, the dangerous entrances,” says Dalal.
Sahyadri Pratishthan has installed 10 signboards at Tung Fort that narrate its history
But Gojamgunde’s complaint against the ASI is that they have not restored the forts in the correct manner. “They have used concrete and cement to restore some of the fort walls, including Kandhar Fort in Naded district and Sewri Fort in Mumbai,” he says.
Gojamgunde may blame the government, but trekking enthusiast Prateek Deo believes that it is irresponsible trekkers who are to be blamed for the dilapidated condition of the forts. Deo, who has visited 150 forts over the past 20 years, is working on a documentary on the forts of Maharashtra. His company Life Away From Life has been organising treks to the forts since 1998. “My treks are always accompanied by a history lesson on the forts we visit,” he adds. Some of these forts, explains Deo, were built 2,000 years ago by Portuguese traders and were later used for defence by local Maratha heroes. Several of the forts were later taken over by the British.
“Even if you get the government to spend lakhs, it will be completely pointless unless you teach trekkers and tourists to respect our architectural past. For so many thousands of years they have stood the test of time. If some of the gates are dilapidated it is because the British blasted the fort gates before they left. This can be seen at Trimbakeshwar or Visapur, for instance,” says Deo.
Contrary to Gojamgunde, Deo believes that the ASI has done quite a good job maintaining forts under their purview. “Raigad Fort is very well maintained,” he says. “There’s no need to build a road, or a beautiful wall or boundaries. All we need is to stop littering the fort areas. The only way these ingenious structures will collapse is because of soil erosion, which is bound to take place if we continue to litter.”
What happens next?
Gojamgunde is looking forward to the upcoming weeks. “We have submitted photographs as proof to show the poor condition of some forts as well as photos of the badly-restored forts. The government has till November 29 to submit documents in their defence to Judge Mohit Shah at the Mumbai High Court,” he says, hoping for a positive response from the court
[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[
THE NEXT GENERATIONS WILL BLAME US AND THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF THE FORTS
Hikers join govt to clean state’s forts
Posted On Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 03:31:31 AM
|
Forts in the State, many of which are symbols of the 17th century Maratha supremacy, give enough reasons to cringe, to environmentalists and tourists alike. Badly maintained and littered with rubbish, these forts scream public and government apathy. The State government, realising neighbours like Gujarat, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh are surging ahead in tourism sector, has decided to get its act right. The State Forest Department has roped in leading group of hikers and mountaineers to launch a no-plastic-in-forts campaign. On Wednesday, Principal Secretary (State Forest Department) Praveen Pardeshi met representatives of 35 groups of hikers and mountaineers. An avid hiker and wildlife lover, Pardeshi also represented a group called Mantralaya Hikers. A senior Forest Department official said, “Most forts in the State are located in forests. These forts are littered with plastic and garbage. We have set up committees at rural level to clean the forts. The committees will charge a small fee to those visiting the forts, and in turn, they will be re-sponsible for keeping the structures clean. The hikers will also assist in keeping the forts clean.”
Hikers were thrilled to be part of this initiative. P Tidke of All Ma-harashtra Stunts and Hikers Association said, “These forts belong to all of us. We will educate people, we will stress on the fact that these are our properties.” Forts closer to Mumbai and Pune are in worst of conditions. Sinhagadh Fort 30 kms from Pune, for instance, where visitors often find empty bot-tles of alcohol, is a nightmare for the Forest Department. Senior hiker Sunil Raj said, “In forests, there is no civic body to collect waste. If we hope to keep forests and forts clean, we have to involve those living there. We will get village committee members to act as guides, and they can earn money out of it.” Two years ago, Raj’s group launched a similar initiative, but lack of funds shelved it. Nandini Mathure from Young Zingaroo Trekkers said, “The government is on the right track. Apart from protecting the forts and forests, local people will get employment.” |
1972, TV services were extended to Mumbai, which was then Bombay
Until 1975, only 7 Indian cities were covered by TV
1
How did TV broadcast start in India?
In September 1959, Delhi became the first Indian city to get TV telecast facility. It took nearly six years to start regular services. By 1972, TV services were extended to Mumbai, which was then Bombay. In the early days, TV took a long time to reach other parts of the country as until 1975, only seven Indian cities were covered by television. Television gradually penetrated across the country and today India boasts of one of the world's largest TV broadcast networks. Initially, terrestrial television was used for TV broadcasting in India. The system, which date backs to the beginning of TV broadcasting in the world, does not involve satellites to transmit information. Instead it depends on transmitting, receiving and TV antenna. The TV requires a tuner that could convert radio signals to audio and video.
What is satellite TV?
Unlike terrestrial TV, satellite television is based on delivering programmes by the means of communication satellite. These signals are received by a parabolic reflector type outdoor antenna, typically referred to as a dish antenna. The signals could be obtained either by large community antennas and then distributed by coaxial cables or directly by direct to home ( DTH) antennas designed for individual reception. The satellite system is capable of transmitting all forms of broadcasting signals.
What are the other methods of TV broadcasting?
TV broadcasting can be divided into two main categories — analogue and digital. There are three types of analogue television systems used around the world — NTSC, PAL and SECAM. Similarly, digital TV broadcasting is done by four different systems — DVB-T, ATSC, ISDB-T and DTMB. These systems, which are used in different countries, are significantly different from each other. The main differences are in details like conversion into broadcast and then video format as well as the methods used for transmission of broadcast signals. To resolve conflicts between various TV systems, countries typically adopt a single broadcasting system as their national standard.
How is digital broadcasting different from analogue?
A digital signal transmits the information in binary code which is zero or one. The analogue system converts the information into electromagnetic waves. A digital TV has several advantages over analogue sets. Most importantly, it takes far lesser bandwidth. This enables the broadcasters to provide more channels. Because of increased space in the transmission bandwidth, the broadcaster could provide additional information like program guides, additional language option, subtitles and so on. Apart from this, digital signals also have superior picture quality.
What is the new government move aimed at?
Across the world, countries are switching from analogue to digital broadcasting. At present, broadcasters in many countries are operating by delivering simulcast services where broadcast is made available to both digital and analogue consumers. As digital telecast is becoming popular across the world, it is generally believed that the coming years will witness a complete switchover from analogue to exclusively digital broadcasting. The switchover varies from country to country. For instance, in India and the UK it will be implemented in various stages. Specific regions will switch on different dates. The 'switch off' disables analogue TVs from receiving broadcasts and hence a set-top converter box is required to receive digital signals.
In September 1959, Delhi became the first Indian city to get TV telecast facility. It took nearly six years to start regular services. By 1972, TV services were extended to Mumbai, which was then Bombay. In the early days, TV took a long time to reach other parts of the country as until 1975, only seven Indian cities were covered by television. Television gradually penetrated across the country and today India boasts of one of the world's largest TV broadcast networks. Initially, terrestrial television was used for TV broadcasting in India. The system, which date backs to the beginning of TV broadcasting in the world, does not involve satellites to transmit information. Instead it depends on transmitting, receiving and TV antenna. The TV requires a tuner that could convert radio signals to audio and video.
What is satellite TV?
Unlike terrestrial TV, satellite television is based on delivering programmes by the means of communication satellite. These signals are received by a parabolic reflector type outdoor antenna, typically referred to as a dish antenna. The signals could be obtained either by large community antennas and then distributed by coaxial cables or directly by direct to home ( DTH) antennas designed for individual reception. The satellite system is capable of transmitting all forms of broadcasting signals.
What are the other methods of TV broadcasting?
TV broadcasting can be divided into two main categories — analogue and digital. There are three types of analogue television systems used around the world — NTSC, PAL and SECAM. Similarly, digital TV broadcasting is done by four different systems — DVB-T, ATSC, ISDB-T and DTMB. These systems, which are used in different countries, are significantly different from each other. The main differences are in details like conversion into broadcast and then video format as well as the methods used for transmission of broadcast signals. To resolve conflicts between various TV systems, countries typically adopt a single broadcasting system as their national standard.
How is digital broadcasting different from analogue?
A digital signal transmits the information in binary code which is zero or one. The analogue system converts the information into electromagnetic waves. A digital TV has several advantages over analogue sets. Most importantly, it takes far lesser bandwidth. This enables the broadcasters to provide more channels. Because of increased space in the transmission bandwidth, the broadcaster could provide additional information like program guides, additional language option, subtitles and so on. Apart from this, digital signals also have superior picture quality.
What is the new government move aimed at?
Across the world, countries are switching from analogue to digital broadcasting. At present, broadcasters in many countries are operating by delivering simulcast services where broadcast is made available to both digital and analogue consumers. As digital telecast is becoming popular across the world, it is generally believed that the coming years will witness a complete switchover from analogue to exclusively digital broadcasting. The switchover varies from country to country. For instance, in India and the UK it will be implemented in various stages. Specific regions will switch on different dates. The 'switch off' disables analogue TVs from receiving broadcasts and hence a set-top converter box is required to receive digital signals.
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