What Tamil Nadu CM Vijay really needs to see at Fort St. George
The newly elected Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, C. Joseph Vijay, visited Fort St. George but missed key issues affecting its preservation. The Fort suffers from poor upkeep and a complex ownership structure involving multiple stakeholders, leading to neglect of its historic buildings. To address these challenges, the government should consider forming a committee to oversee preservation efforts and improve documentation and access to the site.
- ▪C. Joseph Vijay is the first Chief Minister in recent memory to visit Fort St. George.
- ▪The Fort is plagued by poor maintenance and an ownership conflict among the Archaeological Survey of India, the Tamil Nadu government, and the military.
- ▪Key historic buildings within the Fort are in a state of disrepair due to neglect and administrative disputes.
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Last week, the newly elected Chief Minister, C. Joseph Vijay, went walkabout at Fort St. George. Which is a good thing. He must be the first Chief Minister in living memory who went and saw some of the monuments in the precinct. The itinerary was predictable – the Church of St. Mary’s and the Fort Museum. But what was left out was what he really needed to go and see. And had he done so, he may have begun pondering over what can be done to save this historic enclave from its steady decline.The first problem that faces the Fort is its poor general upkeep. Tonnes of rubbish lurk behind the massive walls – the byproducts of the administrative setup at the place. You don’t need to go looking for it. All around, you will see heaps of plastic, paper, and other discarded items.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Hindu — Top.
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