This art gallery in Himachal stares at another demolition owing to highway widening work
NHAI says like last time, this time too compensation will be given
4 min read
Boasting of a footfall of over 5 lakh visitors, the gallery also houses a library of sorts and also houses the artefacts that Sharma collected from across the state over the years. (Express file) When 67-year-old Birbal Sharma first inaugurated the Himachal Darshan Art Gallery over two decades ago, little did he know that he would have to pay the price of development.
After decades of roaming the hill state and documenting his travel through photographs, Sharma opened the art gallery-cum-museum on Kiratpur-Manali highway in Shilhakipper -Bindravani Tehsil of Mandi district in April 1997. Boasting of a footfall of over 5 lakh visitors, the gallery also houses a library of sorts and also houses the artefacts that Sharma collected from across the state over the years. However, the gallery now once again faces the threat of demolition, this time for the four-laning of Pathankot-Mandi highway.
“From thousands of photographs to old cameras, utensils and old clothes, the place has it all. If you visit the gallery, you will get an overview of the entire state from places to visit to its cultural history,” he says.
An image of the old art gallery that was demolished in 2018. (Express file)
Sharma adds that the art gallery was first demolished in 2018 by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to make way for the Kiratpur-Manali highway. “We were notified in 2016 itself about the demolition so in 2018, when it was demolished, we used its material in the construction of the new gallery a little away from the old location. Construction of new gallery was started in 2018 and one hall was ready in 2019. But then the pandemic happened and finally the new gallery was ready only by May 2023 when we got to know that it will be demolished again. The first demolition didn’t deter us and we stood up stronger and made the gallery far behind the highway on the same road. This time we worked harder and made it more beautiful, added a museum and library too but what is the point,” he asks.
Sharma, who wants NHAI to change the highway’s alignment, says the authority could easily avoid the area. “We reconstructed the gallery from the compensation amount that we got. We also get donations from members of archeology awareness society and others. This time, the NHAI should not demolish it. There is enough space for the highway but the NHAI has not shown any interest in it so far,” he adds.
Even as Sharma has been running from pillar to post to save the gallery, hundreds of residents have also signed a petition to save it. Sharma met former CM Jai Ram Thakur in May 2023 and Rajya Sabha member Sikander Kumar in June 15. he met Union minister Nitin Gadkari in the first week of August and also submitted a memorandum to Mandi MP Pritabha Singh and Union minister Anurag Thakur and Gadkari.
He also had a meeting with deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri and BJP national president JP Nadda. “I had meeting with Mandi deputy commissioner thrice and even met project director of NHAI at Palampur once. Gadkariji said that technical experts will study the project,” Sharma said.
Vikas Surjewala, NHAI project director who is looking after the project, said, “We have studied the project in detail and the process of land acquisition will start in some time. We do understand Sharma’s emotions so we had proposed to shift his collection to a government building. In case the gallery area is acquired, due compensation will be provided to him.”
Mandi DC Arindham Chaudhary said that there has been a public movement behind saving the gallery and the concerns have been forwarded to NHAI. “NHAI will now decide the feasibility of the project,” he said.
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