Squatter146;s rites

THE fort built by Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh on the banks of the Sutlej will soon flaunt a new look. And the conservation is courtesy ...

THE fort built by Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh on the banks of the Sutlej will soon flaunt a new look. And the conservation is courtesy the Punjab Police Academy PPA housed in the fort. 8216;8216;About Rs 20 lakh will be spent on restoring the northwestern bastion of the fort, which collapsed in 1996,8217;8217; gushes Punjab police additional DG G S Aujla, who is also the director of the Academy.

But many are worried that the repairwork may interfere with the original design of the fort. The Archaeological Survey of India ASI, certainly, wants the fort brought under central control and the PPA out. To some, the PPA8217;s sudden flurry of activity is no more than 8216;8216;pre-emptive8217;8217; strike: do something about the building lest you be accused of neglect and forced out.

Aujla would suggest otherwise. 8216;8216;We are trying to keep the architectural nuances of the building intact,8217;8217; he says, 8216;8216;for this, we are relying on pictures of the fort as well as the continuity of architectural designs and motifs on the walls.8217;8217; Also being built is 8216;8216;a modern library, equipped with all the latest facilities8217;8217;. The budget? Rs 45 lakh.

About six months ago, a team from ASI had approached the PPA with a plan to restore the fort. 8216;8216;They conducted a survey but we didn8217;t hear from them after that,8217;8217; says Aujla. 8216;8216;However, any kind of help from the ASI will always be welcome,8217;8217; he adds.

The ASI, however, says it is considering putting the fort under central protection. Says superintending archaeologist of ASI Chandigarh circle Ram Sharan: 8216;8216;Our team had surveyed the fort and the proposal is still under consideration. It may be submitted to our director-general at New Delhi soon.8217;8217;

But Sharan is clear that, as per the rules, no new structure should be built within a building of historical importance. The new library, then, is already in the eye of a storm. 8216;8216;In case the fort is brought under ASI8217;s protection,8217;8217; says Sharan, 8216;8216;the Academy may have to vacate that building. We may also press for shifting out the Academy itself.8217;8217;

The fort was the last eastern outpost of Ranjit Singh8217;s empire. Over time it has become a popular tourist destination and police facility. Now its significance as a heritage monument may just be on the verge of being recognised.