Neglect of coastal forts rued

“These forts which saw the rise and fall of the Dutch, French, British and the Portuguese power in India are in a state of disrepair and ruin. They are fast disappearing from the memory of men,” he said.

He called for the restoration of the forts of Vasai, Arnala, Khanderi, Colaba, Korlai, Janjira, Suwarnadurg, Anjalvel (Gopaldurg), Ratnagiri, Vijaydurg and Sindudurg.

Speaking at the seminar on “Restoration, preservation and utilisation of the coastal forts of Maharashtra,” organised by The Indian Maritime Foundation, Pune, and The Department of Environmental Science, University of Pune, Naravane called for organisations like the Archaeological Survey of India, the MTDC, the hotel industry, the industrial houses and committed people’s organisations like the Trishakti Foundation to come together and evolve a concrete plan of action for the restoration of old forts.

Ram D Sathe, former Foreign Secretary, Government of India, in his inaugural address, lamented the loss of a sense of history in Indians. “We have fallen to a throwaway culture where we throw away anything that is not of monetary benefit to us. Let us remember that as we let our heritage crumble, it is a part of ourselves that is fall to dust,” he said, emphasising that coastal forts all over the world had played an important role in the history and destiny of nations.

Analysing the reason for the neglect of coastal forts, he told the gathering that it could be connected with the fact that these forts were built by invaders, foreigners or Muslim rulers.

Others who spoke included Capt Rajan Vir, Dr A M Patwardhan, Madhav Godbole and former Home Secretary and Vice Admiral (Retd) M P Avati.