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Heritage Halt Heritage Heist
The first day's programme included discussion on highly relevant issues. The speakers were Prajal Sakhardande (Goa's pre-Portuguese history), Miguel Mateus (Why I love art restoration), Sandya Sawant (Restoration aspects of Our Lady of Monte Church), Patricia Pinto, Heta Pandit (Heritage and local pride) and Siraz Rustomjee. Wendell Rodricks flagged off the Open House.
Citing the planning failures, Patricia Pinto, a member of the People's Movement for Civic Action and a Panjim councillor, said that the people should not rely on planners alone because their biased approach could cause irreversible damage. A beautiful cultural display of Goa's ethnic folk dances formed a part of the programme. There were interesting demonstrations by local artisans plus an exhibition of pictures of the typical elements of Goa's majestic mansions and other photographs.
In a talk on "Old Goa, New Goa", Percival Noronha of the Indian Heritage Society, spelt the beauty of Old Goa's majestic churches, convents and houses through slides. Noronha pointed out that the PWD had damaged some of the heritage structures instead of helping to protect them. Architect KD Sadhale said that the conservation of water, forests and wild life could ensure the conservation of our natural heritage. He said that nature's well being only can lead to man's survival. Dr Jorson Fernandes, president of the Goa Heritage Action Group, said that a map of heritage sites would be prepared soon. Eventually one felt that Goa has no heritage regulations while the important heritage structures crumbled or were pulled down deliberately by greedy builders one by one, with the State government either unaware of what heritage means or conveniently looking the other way. Hence, the Goa Heritage Action Group deserves encouragement and a pat for creating awareness among the intelligensia about their duty to protect Goa's heritage sites. "We
had a good response. Inaugurating the two-day event, the Minister
for Archives, Archaeology & Museum, Prakash Velip, spoke
eloquently and even said that the Festival should have been for
seven days instead of two, " said Heta Pandit, honorary secretary of
the Goa Heritage Action Group. JD |
THE Goa
Heritage Festival, which was organised at the Kala Academy on
November 26 and 27 by the Goa Heritage Action Group, was unique and
composite show held in Goa for the first time. It received wide
response from the public, showing how concerned people have grown
over the years where heritage and its conservation is concerned.
"Whither Planning" and "Heritage and Legislation" featured among the
topics discussed.
Mumbai-based lawyer Siraj Rustamji said, "The law is no
good unless people are watching. You have an Outline Development
Plan which is supposed to be the net result of everybody's
participatory process." Rustamji asserted that though Panjim has a
rich heritage and culture, the State lacks plans to protect it. He
felt that the people should create public opinion on the
issue.
The second
day's presentations were equally significant. Architect Raya
Sakhawalkar called for a comprehensive action plan to preserve Goa's
heritage sites and to encompass the same into the tourism
development process. Engineer Ajit Sukhija, owner of "Panjim Inn"
and Panjim Pousada" at Fontainhas, said that several Goan mansions
are being run as heritage hotels by enterprising people but this was
no easy task.