India to fight for Matheran heritage tag
An angry and upset India is all set to battle it out to ensure the historic Matheran light hill railway, built between 1901 and 1907, in Maharashtra is granted world heritage site status by Unesco.
The government’s resolve to push for Matheran has come after learning that the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), an international NGO of professionals dedicated to the conservation of the world’s historic monuments and sites, has not found merit in its case as a world heritage site. ICOMOS recommendations are crucial for a site or monument to be recognised as one with heritage value by Unesco.
Smelling a rat in the draft ICOMOS report to Unesco, which has recommended the “series of mountain railway of India” should be “closed”, the Indian Railways feel the report is biased.
Currently, the Darjeeling mountain rail and the Kalka-Simla railway line in India have Unesco world heritage status.
The Matheran hill railway, whose starting point is midway between Pune and Mumbai, was supposed to be part of this “series” of nominations in the mountain rail category.
Miffed about the ICOMOS recommendation, railway sources remarked, “Who is ICOMOS to suggest a ban on further nominations in the mountain rail category?”
Moreover, the sources pointed out the ICOMOS suggestion appears to have been influenced by a draft policy on world heritage, which is slated to come up before the World Heritage Committee of Unesco when it meets in Brazil from July 21 to August 3.
This draft policy wants an end to “serial nominations” in a category. While India is not a member of this 21-member committee, it plans to take up Matheran’s cause at this forum, said sources. “We have to pursue with other member-states the need for a more rational approach for Matheran.”
There are other reasons also for the Indian Railways unhappiness with the ICOMOS recommendations. Railway sources noted that despite an ICOMOS representative coming for an inspection of the Matheran line in September, the organisation did not get back to it with a single query and yet wants India’s bid rejected.
For instance, ICOMOS in its draft recommendations on Matheran has said that it “considers that the conditions of integrity and authenticity are almost met” and that the “lines technical conservation measures are good”.
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