The problem with renovation

With the upgradation of the Jallianwala Bagh complex in Amritsar eliciting widespread criticism, experts weigh in on the frequent confusion between renovation and restoration, the argument against altering historical sites, and the emotions such sacred grounds evoke in their starkness

The inauguration of the newly-renovated Jallianwala Bagh complex in Amritsar last weekend has been followed by sharp criticism from various quarters for the erasure of the history and significance of a site of massacre through thoughtless and unnecessary beautification. But, supporters of the decision have argued that the additions will only make people conscious of its history.

Amandeep Madra, OBE, who is the founder of the UK Punjab Heritage Association and co-author of Eyewitness at Amritsar: A Visual History of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre 1919, points out that memorials themselves are not historic, the giant red sandstone structure at Jallianwala Bagh installed in the early 1960s, qualifying more as a piece of iconography. The issue, however, is that “the actual Bagh itself—the space in the middle of the old city of Amritsar where one of the most brutal massacres of British rule in the 20th century took place—has now been completely stripped of what it was like in 1919”.

Also Read: 'Insult to martys', Rahul Gandhi slams Jallianwala Bagh renovation

Museum galleries with laser lights have been developed in the complex, along with murals depicting the martyrs, and a sound and light show to display the events of April 13, 1919. Pics/Getty Images

Madra explains that an important aspect of the Bagh, and key to understanding the events that took place on that fateful day, is that it is entirely walled in except for a few very narrow entrances. “Dyer came in through the one main entrance which was mercifully too narrow for his armoured cars. Had they been able to come in, the death toll could have been higher.” This narrow entrance, he asserts, is a critical part of the memorial journey undertaken by visitors where they would traverse the very path taken by Reginald Dyer and his shooting party. “The renovations have turned this narrow original alleyway into a gallery of smiling figures in relief on those very walls,” he says, highlighting how manicured gardens in what is a killing field, along with laser shows, and loud bombastic music are wholly inappropriate to represent this sad human story. What the area needed, he suggests, was a separate visitor centre for people to learn of its history and remember the people who were martyred. 

Moreover, as author Kishwar Desai who has written Jallianwala Bagh, 1919: The Real Story, explains, the new sculpture gallery is not only a misinterpretation of history, it also covers up the original brickwork and simplicity of the place. “This was not a cheery crowd going for a festival, as has now been proven,” she notes. “In fact this was a crowd attending a political meeting, despite warning from the British administration. By April 13, Amritsar was already a city under siege, and buildings had been burnt during an altercation with the British three days prior.” Suggesting that the galli and garden be restored to the original, she says: “What hurts is that this is the galli through which bleeding men and boys, cut to ribbons by bullets, crawled through after Dyer had left. At least earlier we got a sense of the period by looking at those nanakshahi bricks, which had witnessed their death… Nothing could be further from what it was—barren and undulating land.” For historical sites like Auschwitz or Jallianwala Bagh, which are sites of conscience, there is a strong argument, she says, for never changing the original structure as they evoke the memory of particular tragedies. 

Jaspreet Oberoi, Kishwar Desai and Amandeep Madra

For Madra, “The physical scars in the bullet holes in walls are visceral reminders of the sheer brutality and terror of that day. The scale of the Bagh as a gathering place needs to be seen in its entirety to try to re-imagine the size of the crowd and the almost unimaginable wickedness that was inflicted upon them. That kind of connection with the originality of the place is central to the idea of memory.” The author further points out that the city of Amritsar itself, once an important trading city on the silk route, has undergone similar thoughtless interventions over the years. The central market areas that surrounded the Golden Temple and the Jallianwala Bagh were part of the very fabric of the ancient city, he explains. But, in recent years, “one of the main routes leading to the Darbar Sahib has been turned into a Disneyland-style boulevard, with regimented standard shop fronts, Victorian cast iron lampposts, a McDonalds and selfie-friendly sculptures of grinning bhangra dancers.”

Socio-political commentator Jaspreet Oberoi cites the prehistoric Stonehenge and the medieval Dover Castle in England as good examples of preservation of historic structures, along with recent and barely noticeable refurbishments of the Qutub Minar minaret. “That’s how history can be kept ‘almost’ untampered,” he states, ruing the gaudy and insensitive quality of the Jallianwala Bagh renovation through which “a place of sombreness and pain has been converted to a casual picnic spot”. 
Crucial also in this discussion, as Desai points out, is the fact that the terms “restoration” and “renovation” are frequently confused, explaining that while restoration means the bringing of a particular historical monument or site to resemble the original as closely as possible, renovation is a broader category involving rebuilding, and even the addition of decorative elements. “Imagine if at the site of Mohenjodaro or Harappa, we were to place sculptures on the walls or create a pretty garden, instead of strictly maintaining it for historical reasons,” she asks, asserting that the same rigour should be applied for more recent historical sites too. For Desai, the present government’s recognition of the need to preserve forgotten aspects of our history unlike previous governments is commendable. However, she also acknowledges that “care needs to be taken to not overwhelm the original aspects of a particular place”. The case of Jallianwala Bagh, in particular, is unique, she says, because “the site itself is the museum and the interpretation centre. Much of it is lies in the feeling and emotions with which we approach it; even if we had just the bare ground in front of us, it would tell us a thousand stories of the people who died there that day. And that is why one wishes we would not “beautify” it or overbuild upon it. This is sacred ground, where the martyrs lay bleeding—and we could have captured that brutality by allowing the earth itself to speak.”

For Desai, whose team at the Partition Museum in Amritsar went through original records to piece together the names and number of people killed at the Bagh, interventions should have been minimal and in keeping with the site’s specific time period. “Historical interpretation centres or museums which tell you what the space was used for should not interfere with the historical features of the building by covering them up as has been done in Jallianwala Bagh,” she observes.

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