Open or shut door policy?

Little did I imagine that a subject which I had chosen to speak about at a talk inside the Asiatic Society of Mumbairsquos Durbar Hall last weekend would end up resulting in as many questions as answers I was to share my thoughts and views about why the city ought to open up more of its landmarks to the public in order to increase awareness and engagement about our history beyond the heritage communityThe realisation had dawned after I wrapped up the last slide of my PPT presentation Talk about timing The doubts began to crowd the mind ndash will the audience ndash a knowledgeable one with Bombayphiles of all kinds ndash give my thoughts and observations a fair balanced listen Will it be brushed aside as an illthoughtout wishlist Will they hopefully believe that it is purely a conscious effort by a seasoned journalist whose responsibility is to merely shine a light on how to plug the holes and look for new avenues to make heritage less overwhelming and intimidating to the aam jantaCobwebs cleared out in the head I decided to give it my best shot But then in a scene that could have been borrowed from the setting of the moors in Wuthering Heights the overcast sky created a rather sombre mood to proceedings as the clock ticked closer to the destined time of my talk Introductions done throat cleared mic checked I began my session or as I had raked up in my headmdashldquopleading my caserdquo Slide after another I spoke about why certain key city landmarks including the Afghan Church Hornbill House Bombay High Court University Building complex including the Rajabai Tower and the Turf Club could engage with the public in varying capacities simply because they were home to spectacular examples of our rich past the scope of discoverability offered was immense and that they showcased exquisite reminders of our cultural architectural and literary history across its faccedilades and cornersI cited instances from my own experiences as a journalist who has been covering the heritage and culture beat for over 15 years of how it was and continues to be on many occasions next to impossible to enter spaces unless the owners caretakers or conservation architects involved in the buildingrsquos restoration are aware of my visit or I am equipped with an ldquoofficialrdquo letter stating my reason for necessary access Often Irsquod smile at my plight because such actions would remind me of my days as a college student seeking permissions to access books or documents for my projects Explaining how it can be an offputting frustrating experience especially if you work in a daily newspaper read hectic deadlines I tried to reiterate this glaring roadblock that plagues some of our most famous heritage landmarks And if I faced it imagine what about the curious minded keen to explore the city but is shooed away There is a high possibility that over time this individual might lose interest in learning more about the city Irsquove heard instances like these all around meTo offer a balance to my argument I made it a point to also spell out the contrasts ndash the other extreme when it comes to sites that offer free access like the Gateway of India or Victoria now Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Here they face the problem of plenty quite literally The historicity is right in the face of the train commuter or the visitor to the Gateway but it tends to get ignored in their blitz to not miss their designated local train for the latter vandalised or ignored of better upkeepThe assured nods in the audience made me realise that proceedings hadnrsquot gone south Post my presentation when members from the audience had specific questions it appeared as if the thought had struck a chord How does one walk the tightrope and yet ensure that the cityrsquos wonderful assemblage of heritage sites and views doesnrsquot remain a talking point among only a small section many of whom were right there in the audience In fact when I overheard someone exclaim out loud before the session began ldquoOh I see many familiar faces for this talk as wellrdquo my gut feeling turned out true In the audience based entirely on what I could gauge from the dais I noticed fewer young people And that remains part of the problemThe issues are multipronged to stir up this sleeping giant Young enthusiasts need to be drawn into the dialogue about heritage and made stakeholders Oneoff reminders like walks and heritagecultural arts festivals cannot work wonders overnight to get people more engaged and immersed in heritage A comprehensive blueprint is the need of the hour with sufficient engagement to suit all age groups and interests A yearlong itinerary where heritage establishments open their doors to the public and where existing ones keep theirs open on weekends andor for longer hours are small steps Residential precincts with heritage value can create mini models of their unique ecosystems to ensure privacy and boundaries are maintainedOn the bright side it felt good to at least have a platform to share my lsquoHope Charterrsquo with this invested engaged lot If it leads to the manifestation and execution of even one of the several solutions and small steps that I had shared to enable access and thereby empower the community to grow beyond its existing numbers I would consider it a tiny heartening victory of sortsA community of heritage loversmdashespecially if we want young people to be a part of this movementmdashand custodians need to be gradually developed They need to be encouraged and allowed to explore their city in organic seamless ways that donrsquot seem forced or intimidating Our cityrsquos thinkers planners and visionaries must reassess their approach where public and private hands join to keep our diverse rich but constantly threatened heritage in safe hands It is our best shot to preserve what we have Because with access comes awarenessmiddayrsquos Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the cityrsquos sights sounds smells and stoneswherever the ink and the inclination takes her She tweets bombayanaSend your feedback to mailbagmiddaycom