Mad Decadence

Kolkata’s iconic and historic heritage hotel – Hotel Old Kenilworth is being demolished to make way for a new swanky destination. The hotel was enlisted as Grade -II heritage building in the municipal records so there was absolutely no scope of demolition. Apparently, the new owners of the property had applied for change in the status so the heritage building was downgraded to Grade-III building paving way for the demolition.

Human civilization seems to be great at making rules, just to bend them and undo them. The good old Physics law of Entropy seems to apply to human societal laws too. We just seem to be heading towards more and more disorder while seeking new order and form.

There is nothing wrong in seeking new form, new structures and development. But question is, at what cost? One cannot trade away history, legacy and even legal norms to move ahead. Here changing the heritage tag silently points towards moral decadence of the authorities. Were the city historians, heritage conservationists consulted before the committee made the decision?

As always, it is too late to ask questions and seek answers. The demolition is already underway and part of the building has turned into rubble.

Why Kolkata cannot be a historic city showcasing it’s troubled but glorious past through these iconic buildings? Why can’t these structures be conserved, restored? Why we must demolish the past to make way for the present and future?

Moreover, none of the iconic buildings are being replaced by architectural wonders. A thin tall skyscraper in a historic city just sticks out like an eye-sore in the landscape. Unfortunately, the Entropy – the disorder just goes on increasing. These actions cannot be reversed and I am afraid it will pave way for bending of more rules for the demolition of more heritage buildings.