Chandigarh Rock Garden Demolition: 'What Will Become of Nek Chand's Legacy?'

In Chandigarh, a local is more likely to be attached to Nek Chand's Rock Garden than the modern structures in brick and concrete. I’m confident that I speak for many other residents when I say that our attachment with this world-famous work of art, which spreads across 40 acres and is filled with a kaleidoscope of human and animal figures, is profoundly ingrained.No wonder then that it took just one social media post – with videos of menacing JCBs tearing into the wall enclosing part of Rock Garden – for citizens to spring into action.On 23 February, carrying placards, tens of citizens showed up at the venue of the demolition to voice their anguish at the insensitive manner in which a court order to widen the road was being carried out.To create another road to the nearby High Court parking, the order had been passed on 7 February to create slip roads to ease the pressure on the existing ones. The Chandigarh Administration had appealed that the land was a reserved forest area but, in an order dated 21 February, the judges dismissed their plea, and so, the work began on creating new roads.Besides the felling of many trees, this called for demolishing a part of the Rock Garden wall – made of reused tar coal drums – to avoid a bottleneck.As citizens gathered at Rock Garden, their protests became the symbol of their resistance to the ethos of Chandigarh’s heritage crumbling under the pressure of development and apathy.After that day, we have also come together to form a group – 'Saving Chandigarh' – to create public pressure so that the powers that be revisit their decision. Besides writing a letter of protest to the Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh, we have planned a protest march on 28 February.'Booked a Flat in Noida, Now Facing Harassment From Loan Recovery Agents’The breaking of this wall reflected the breaking of the trust of the people that the legacy of the city is in safe hands. Nek Chand’s fantasy world of kings and queens got jolted into reality.Ukraine War: 'Torch, Sleeping Bag, Power Bank Part of My Survival Kit in Kyiv'With the demolition, a seed has been planted that even this creation is not immune to the pressures of development. Could the road have been better planned to avoid this? Did we explore the possibility of reducing vehicular traffic by creating robust provisions for public transport? Did we weigh the environmental damage versus the gains it provided? More importantly, who does the Rock Garden really belong to? The judges, the administration or the citizens? The question is now being expanded to encompass the city as a whole. Who gets to decide where the city is going — and what all can we sacrifice to reach there?Chandigarh has for long been dithering on the fine line between progress and preservation of its internationally acknowledged heritage. A city planned for 5 lakh people is already teeming with over 12 lakh residents —with many more trying to get a foot in. Each day a small but vital part of the character is chipped away to make way for the needs of a growing city. While there is an urgent need to upgrade the amenities and create new ones, it does not have to be at the cost of the very ethos of the city.Because of the lack of foresight and apathy to the core values of the city, we may end up killing the goose that lays the golden egg. 'Kuwait Company Violated Labour Laws, Took My Passport and Withheld My Salary'We are slowly removing the very essence of what makes it a city beautiful to remodel it into a sad copy of the soulless cities with no individuality and defining character.If we start destroying the idyllic green setting, aesthetically designed buildings with ample light and ventilation, and the orderliness of the urban setting – what will be left of Chandigarh? Chandigarh’s planner Le Corbusier said cities should be organic and responsive to positive change. But this does not mean that we allow Chandigarh to grow endlessly into a messy urban sprawl.We need to find a middle ground by identifying what is sacred and what can be changed to accommodate the demands of the new world. We need to learn from cities across the world that have been able to capitalise on their heritage and unique merits to create environments that boost mental, social, cultural and commercial growth. As I keep saying in every forum and discussion on the balancing of heritage and growth, “There is a definite scope for need-based changes but not enough for greed-based changes!” 'What Will it Take to Fix Manholes, Open Drains in Delhi's Batla House?'Corbusier had said in his Edict of Chandigarh: “The seed of the city is well sown. It is up to the citizens to see that the tree flourishes.” The walls that hold up the legacy are crumbling — and the citizens need to put them back one brick at a time. (Deepika Gandhi is a former director at Le Corbusier Centre and former associate professor at Chandigarh College of Architecture.)The Chandigarh Administration has defended its action, stating that they were mandated to address the traffic bottleneck caused by the jutting-out corner of the Rock Garden, which was impacting traffic near the High Court.In a written statement, the Chandigarh Administration said, "The wall will not be demolished, rather shifted to accommodate the road widening project. A new wall will be constructed to replicate the original design, preserving the Rock Garden's legacy and aesthetic integrity.""The plan for road widening has been approved, with the necessary conversion of forest land to non-forest land authorised by the Government of India," the statement further said.(The Quint has reached out to the Chandigarh Administration for more information after the protests. The story will be updated as and when they respond.)(All 'My Report' branded stories are submitted by citizen journalists to The Quint. Though The Quint inquires into the claims/allegations from all parties before publishing, the report and the views expressed above are the citizen journalist's own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)

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Chandigarh Rock Garden Demolition: 'What Will Become of Nek Chand's Legacy?'

'The breaking of the wall has broken the trust of the people that the legacy of the city is in safe hands.'

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Topics: Environment Chandigarh Chandigarh Police