The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has revealed intentions to delist 18 monuments under its protection due to their perceived reduced national importance. This marks the first large scale exercise of its kind undertaken by ASI in decades.
Once the delisting process is finalised in the coming weeks, the number of monuments under the ambit of the ASI will decrease from 3,693 to 3,675. The selection process was based on a list of 24 monuments categorised as “untraceable monuments,” submitted by the Union Ministry of Culture to a parliamentary committee last year.
Delisting of monuments from the registry effectively relieves the central agency of any responsibility for their protection. Consequently, construction and urban development activities in the vicinity can proceed without the constraints typically imposed by heritage conservation measures.
Delisted Monuments
The monuments facing delisting include Kos Minar No.13 at Mujessar village in Haryana; Bara Khamba Cemetery in Delhi; Gunner Burkill’s Tomb at Rangoon in Jhansi; Cemetery at Gaughat in Lucknow; and Telia Nala Buddhist ruins, which form part of a deserted village in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
An official gazette notification dated March 8, invokes Section 35 of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 (AMASR Act) to commence the delisting procedure, asserting that these monuments ‘have ceased to be of national importance.’ As per the notification, the public is invited to provide feedback or suggestions within a two-month timeframe, in accordance with the AMASR Act.
Monuments recognised as nationally significant under the act are mandated to be conserved and supervised by the ASI, serving as vital historical and cultural landmarks. Moreover, construction activities are prohibited in their vicinity to ensure their preservation.
Missing Monuments
In December last year, the Ministry of Culture told the Parliament that among India’s 3,693 centrally protected monuments, 50 were unaccounted for. This disclosure was part of a report presented to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism, and Culture, titled ‘Issues relating to Untraceable Monuments and Protection of Monuments in India.’
The missing monuments comprised 11 in Uttar Pradesh, two each in Delhi and Haryana, and others scattered across Assam, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. According to the ASI, 14 of these missing monuments were lost due to rapid urbanisation, 12 were submerged due to reservoirs or dams, while 24 remain untraceable. The 18 monuments earmarked for delisting are chosen from this latter category of untraceable monuments.
In 2013, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had identified 92 monuments as “missing” following a comprehensive physical verification first time since Independence. Out of these 92 “missing” monuments, the ASI later confirmed the rediscovery of 42, while detailing the remaining 50 monuments, categorised under those impacted by urbanisation, reservoirs/dams, and those still untraceable.
The decision to delist the 18 monuments comes nearly five months after the parliamentary panel remarked on the inclusion of a significant number of “minor monuments” in the list of ASI-protected sites. The panel recommended a “rationalisation and categorisation” based on national significance, unique architectural value, and specific heritage content.