Long-Overdue Pruning Of India's Monuments List Is Finally Underway

Sanjeev Sanyal, an economist and member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India, has often called for changes in the way India recognises, manages, and markets its monuments and historical sites.

One of his principal demands has been to rationalise the list of monuments of national importance (MNIs). In a welcome move, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has begun this process.

At present, India is home to 3,695 monuments of national importance (MNIs), overseen by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.

In a 5 August article, Sanjeev Sanyal and Jayasimha K R write that many of these monuments were inherited from the colonial era, with the addition of some from the princely states.

Over time, the list of MNIs underwent some changes, but a systematic attempt to rationalise the list was lacking, until now.

Trimming The Monuments List

In January 2023 came a report by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) called 'Monuments of National Importance: An Urgent Need for Rationalization'. It noted that several monuments were either missing from the list or did not merit national importance.

The issue of missing monuments has also been raised in Parliament on multiple occasions. As a result, the ASI issued a gazette notification on 8 March 2024 to delist 18 monuments that could not be located despite extensive efforts. It marked the first delisting attempt since 1978.

Sanyal and Jayasimha point out that the challenge extends beyond missing monuments. Many existing MNIs lack national significance. Some are of local importance and should be transferred to state protection, while others do not warrant any special status.

The EAC-PM report recommended removing such monuments from the MNI list, including approximately 75 graves or cemeteries of British officers and soldiers with no architectural or cultural significance. 

“The good news is that the process of delisting for this category, too, has begun. The initial notification of delisting the statue of John Nicholson, which once stood in Kashmiri Gate in Delhi, was issued in end-July 2024,” wrote Sanyal and Jayasimha.

The Nicholson Monument

John Nicholson (1821-1857) was a British brigadier-general known for his brutal role in suppressing the 1857 revolt. Even by the standards of the time, his methods were considered excessively harsh.

Then-governor general Lord Canning had written about Nicholson “sweeping the country like the incarnation of vengeance” who had “struck terror into wavering hearts.”

Nicholson himself declared, “I dislike India and its inhabitants more every day.” Even colonial apologists like writer Charles Allen have commented on Nicholson’s extreme brutality.

His infamy is reflected in the writings of contemporaries, with one prominent British writer, William Dalrymple, referring to him as a "great Imperial psychopath."

Nicholson died from injuries sustained during the capture of Delhi and was buried near Kashmere Gate, where a cemetery now bears his name.

In the early 1900s, the British colonial government erected a statue of Nicholson in front of Kashmere Gate, and both the statue and his grave were included in the list of protected monuments, which was later adopted by independent India.

In 1958, the statue was sent to County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, Nicholson's birthplace, yet the site remained on the list of MNIs. A memorial stone at the site pays tribute to other British officers killed in 1858, but the spot itself remains largely unchanged.

Why Delisting Makes Sense

Delisting MNIs is not only about removing colonial remnants but also the resolution of practical issues.

Being designated as an MNI imposes a 100-meter radius as a 'prohibited area,' where construction is banned, and an additional 200 meters as a 'regulated area,' requiring special permissions.

In dense urban areas like Kashmiri Gate, such a designation results in red tape and inefficiency.

Sanyal acknowledged ASI’s efforts, saying, “It is good to see that ASI is finally beginning to rationalise the list of MNIs. The removal of several missing monuments can be expected soon. With the recent notification regarding Nicholson’s statue, the effort to delist unworthy monuments has also begun.”