The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) may well spell doom for Agra’s tourism prospects, as the Agra Fort is on the verge of being entirely removed from public view.Major attractions inside the Fort, namely the Musamman Burj (Shahjahan’s quarters during captivity), Khas Mahal, Shish Mahal, Moti Mosque etc have been closed for tourists.Historians objected to the shutting down of these monuments, quoting the ASI Act, 1958, which forbids the closure of any archaeologically important monument for any reason other than conservation work.The Act also states that people have the right to enter any historical monument and the ASI can only restrict access to the monument for fear of its collapse or for conservation work. Though this is not the situation in the case of Musamman Burj, the monument remains closed.Earlier, Shish Mahal and Moti Mosque were closed by the ASI in a similar fashion and they have never been reopened. Former Agra University Vice Chancellor and renowned historian Prof Agam Prasad Mathur told The Indian Express that Agra Fort should have been freed from the occupation of the Indian Army, which is permanently stationed there.He added that instead of protecting the monuments, the ASI is acting like cultural police deciding which of them should be accessible to the general public. When the Superintending Archaeologist of ASI, Agra Mohd. K.K was contacted regarding the closures, he said the monuments have been closed for their protection as the ASI does not have enough staff to patrol the Agra Fort and till this lack of staff is over, the monuments shall remain closed.The tourist trade community, whom the closures will affect the most, is especially worried. The Foreign Tourist Traders and Exporters Association, Agra, has urged the ASI to issue a clarification about the entry of tourists and has warned that any step towards blocking their entry shall have a serious impact on tourism.
