Lalit Kala Akademi slips, celebrates Chandigarh’s foundation day on the day it became a UT

Amarjot Kaur
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, November 2

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History probably repeats itself only to teach us lessons we refuse to learn and this one is about Chandigarh’s Foundation Day.

Much recently, Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi sent out invites for a 14-day photography exhibition, titled ‘Chandigarh – Down the Memory Lane’, to celebrate the city’s foundation day from November 1 to 14 at the Sector 17 underpass.

I think we need to sit and agree on the dates as to when there is UT day and inaugural day. That’s caused the confusion. I will tell the Chief Architect of UT to do something about it. Dharam Pal, UT Adviser

However, after a thorough digging, with some help from The Tribune archives, relevant books, and a chat with architects, intellectuals, and activists of the city, this correspondent arrived at the brink of establishing plain facts: Chandigarh’s foundation stone was never laid by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. On November 1, 1966, it was declared a Union Territory. It was formally inaugurated on October 7, 1953.

The book, “Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret – The Indian Architecture”, by Sarbjit Bahga and Surinder Bahga states: “The construction of the Capital Project started in 1951, and the city was inaugurated by Dr Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, on October 7, 1953. Political exigencies in 1966 led to the further division of Punjab and the new state of Haryana was carved out of it. At present, as an interim arrangement, Chandigarh continues to function as the capital of both states”.

On April 5, 2002, The Tribune published an investigative report headlined ‘Inventing an Event’ after a paper reported that the foundation stone of Chandigarh was laid by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on April 2, 1952, and that the UT Administration had forgotten to ‘celebrate the golden jubilee of the city’. The Tribune report quoted MN Sharma, a former Chief Architect of Chandigarh, and a close associate of Le Corbusier, the French architect who planned the city, saying, “I have been associated with various activities, functions, and ceremonies with regard to Chandigarh right from the beginning and I do not recall Pandit Nehru ever laying the foundation stone of Chandigarh…”

The report also mentions that a memorial was built to commemorate Nehru’s visit. “The cube was designed by me and it is still there for all to see,” Sharma told The Tribune. On the side of the cube is inscribed: “This monument was dedicated to the memory of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on November 14, 1989, in his birth centenary year.”

Activist RK Garg, president of Second Innings Association, has now written to the UT authorities about the goof-up while citing the dates mentioned on the UT website. He asked: “Is the administration trying to rewrite the history of Chandigarh or they have not verified the facts available with them before greeting the people on November 1, saying it a Foundation Day of Chandigarh? How come Chandigarh was founded on November 1, 1966, when it was formed a UT only and how come after 70 years of its existence all are greeting on its 55th day of being UT as its birthday?”

“Chandigarh was declared a Union Territory on 1st November 1966. It was just a political arrangement, and thus November 1 cannot be treated as Foundation Day of Chandigarh by any stretch of the imagination. Because of the above, either the date on which the construction of Chandigarh started in 1951 or the date of the inauguration on 7th October 1953 should be celebrated as the Foundation Day of Chandigarh,” said architect and author Sarbjit Bahga.

Shilpa Das, practising architect and convener of discussion – Process of Chandigarh, said, “The reorganisation of Punjab made Chandigarh a UT that was a temporary measure. Non-resolution of the vital issue with states led to this stalemate where the UT is the biggest loser, as its urban form was permanently impacted and it couldn’t develop and grow as was intended. Presently, all infrastructure-related issues of the UT, especially traffic can only be resolved in coordination with Punjab and Haryana. So November 1, 1966, is actually a reminder of the beginning of a huge crisis for the city, that has kept its destiny on hold.”