Open House: Is it right to sacrifice heritage for development as seen in the demolition of Rock Garden's wall?

May set a wrong precedent

The demolition of the Rock Garden’s wall has sparked concerns about heritage preservation and the potential for similar developments in the region. The Rock Garden is a unique cultural landmark, and altering its structure could diminish its value. Preserving heritage sites is essential for maintaining cultural identity and promoting tourism, but the demolition also highlights the need for uniform rules and regulations like building bylaws, to ease traffic congestion. The CHB regulations should be revisited to ensure their balance of development and need-based issues to be considered with heritage preservation.

Sukhpal Singh, Chandigarh

Needs more deliberation

The Rock Garden is an important cultural landmark and thus, it is incumbent on the part of the government to preserve such monuments being for both as a tourist attraction and a part of history. Making alterations in the name of infrastructural development should not be allowed. The issue needs to be deliberated at an appropriate forum before any concrete action is taken.

SS Arora, Mohali

Weigh in pros and cons

Development, when it brings about a positive change should be allowed even if comes at the cost heritage. If by widening the road, we can prevent accidents and can also save the precious human lives, there is no harm in it. But if the widening of road brings out no meaningful change, it will be a waste the valuable resources. The Rock Garden was built so years ago and the population as well as the traffic flow has increased manifold since. There is no harm in demolishing the wall if it can bring about a positive change.

Savita Kuthiala, Chandigarh

Landmarks will lose sheen

The recent demolition of the Rock Garden’s wall for widening of road has angered a large number of citizens and rightly so. The City Beautiful is known for the beauty of its iconic spots like the Rock Garden, Sukhna Lake and Rose Garden. The tampering and demolition of these spots may result in a loss of interest when it comes to tourism. Infrastructural development has to be carried out for the ease of commuters but cannot be at the cost of destructing heritage places.

Wg Cdr JS Minhas (Retd.), Mohali

Assess alternatives before demolition

The Rock Garden represents a connection to the past and contribute to a sense of identity. Destroying such sites can lead to the loss of intangible cultural heritage, which cannot be replaced. The road must be designed different to avoid damaging the wall. Anyhow, adaptive reuse of historic buildings or integrating heritage sites into modern infrastructure can be effective solutions. The decision should have been guided by a thorough assessment of alternatives, stakeholders engagement and a commitment to preserving cultural heritage while meeting development needs.

Anita K Tandon, Mundi Kharar

Strive to strike a balance

While urbanisation is undoubtedly a part of modern life, it should not come at the expense of erasing our cultural and artistic legacy. The Rock Garden, a unique testament to creativity and environmental awareness, should be preserved. Similarly, the renaming of places like Connaught Place and Mughalsarai highlights the dangers of rewriting history to suit political narratives. History, with all its imperfections, should be preserved. It is crucial that we balance development with safeguarding the legacy of past generations.

Sanjay Chopra, Mohali

Heritage team should look into matter

The move to demolish the wall of Rock Garden to widen the road is unjustified. The administration should intervene so that such a demolition drive does not happen in the future. The Rock Garden is the heritage of Chandigarh, and it should be preserved. The administration should constitute a heritage team to look into such matter. This team should work to make the Rock Garden a “geo heritage” site and hand it over to the Geological Survey of India (GSI) for maintenance and protection.

Sunny Dhaliwal, Chandigarh

Ditch the indifferent approach

The demolished wall was not a part of Rock Garden as stated by the officials. If it was not part of the heritage, then why wait for so long and remove it earlier? Now, the authorities have harmed the aesthetic beauty of the garden. The indifferent attitude of the authorities poses a threat not only to the city’s heritage and beauty, but to the development as well.

Abhilasha Gupta, Mohali

Balance economics with culture

The recent demolitions of the Rock Garden have set a bad precedent. There is a need to strike a balance between economic development and heritage conservation, as this preservation extends beyond mere aesthetics or nostalgia, the anchors of which will keep reminding us about our past and the importance of our historical traditions. The journey to achieve this perfect balance is challenging but also an opportunity to build our cities in a way containing both the cultural richness and economic prosperity.

Vaibhav Goyal, Chandigarh

Stick to minor alterations

There is a need to protect the heritage of Chandigarh. Minor alterations can be made whenever extremely necessary, but the requirement of space is an endless one and will not stop with just one road. Thus, the authorities should not be allowed to overlook heritage every time a slight need arises.

K C Rana, Chandigarh

Look for other spaces

The Rock Garden as a heritage must be preserved in its original form. To augment additional parking space in the vicinity of the high court complex, the only vacant spot that catches the eye is the golf course. The diversion of this space will affect only a selected few but will benefit a large number of daily visitors to the complex.

A Balaji, Chandigarh

Road widening will do no good

The UT administration it seems is steering the city towards self-destruction. Instead of developing a world-class public transportation system, they are focused on widening roads. This will increase maintenance costs and encourage private vehicle use, exacerbating Chandigarh’s severe air quality issues. Moreover, the iconic Rock Garden, a tourism boon, must be preserved in its original form.

Pranav Kanwal, Chandigarh.

Ensure public interest is protected

The Rock Garden was not a part of the planned city and should not come in the way of widening of roads, which is a part of developmental works that will help the city. There is larger public interest in road widening and having more space for parking vehicles. There is no room for politics as being played in other matters either.

Gurinderjit Bhatia, Chandigarh

Sustainable planning required

Sacrificing heritage for the sake of development is a contentious issue that requires a balanced approach. The demolition of the Rock Garden wall to widen a road may improve infrastructure, but it also erases a part of history and cultural identity. Heritage sites reflect a region’s artistic, historical, and social values, making them irreplaceable. While development is necessary, it should not come at the cost of losing our past. Sustainable planning, which integrates growth with heritage conservation, is crucial. Authorities should explore alternatives like better urban planning, flyovers, or rerouting traffic rather than destroying historical landmarks.

Harinder Singh Bhalla, Chandigarh

Bridge the communication gap

There is a dire need to bridge the avoidable communication gap between the UT administration and the residents. The rock garden wall is not being demolished but instead being shifted to accommodate the road widening. A new wall will be constructed to replicate the original design, preserving the Rock Garden’s legacy and aesthetic integrity. The solution achieves the key objectives of seamless traffic movement and guarding the historical significance. What is critical is to ensure the preservation of the rare tiles in the presence of an expert from and grow double the number of trees being cut at nearby vacant patches.

Brigadier Advitya Madan, Chandigarh

Rethink the approach to development

I have seen the Rock Garden evolving, and built “waste by waste” as a DAV College student from 1971-73. One visited often the 40 acre wonder to appreciate creativity and sustainable art. Nek Chand worked against heavy odds but did not give up. He stood for his passion. Today, the Rock Garden is the pride of Chandigarh. How can it be then disturbed or degraded? There can be dozen other ways to solve the parking problem than to demolish a limb of it. The UT authorities need to rethink and stop demolition.

Col R D Singh, Ambala

Adopt a flexible approach

The Rock Garden is a unique example of transforming waste into art. The latest controversy highlights the tension between preserving heritage and accommodating urban growth. While it's essential to respect and protect cultural heritage, it's equally important to recognise that cities like Chandigarh are evolving and growing. A balanced approach is necessary, where heritage is preserved and protected, but not at the cost of hindering the city's growth and development. Compromise and flexibility are essential in finding solutions.

Capt Amar Jeet, Kharar

Preserve heritage

Since Chandigarh happens to be a new city, it is devoid of old buildings, temples, forts etc. So whatever heritage buildings and furniture items it has deserve to be protected.  In the present case, the present road could easily be widened from the other side without demolishing the part the of the famous Rock Garden.

NPS Sohal, Chandigarh