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United Nations General Assembly: Social, Cultural, and
Humanitarian Committee
Sponsors: Morocco, Singapore, Bulgaria
Signatories: Mongolia, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Peru,
Portugal, Libya
Topic: World Heritage in Tentative ListsChurchgate: Extension to
Mumbai
The General Assembly,
Keeping in mind Churchgate in Mumbai, India fulfils criteria
(ii) and (iv) of the Operational
Guidelines for the implementation of the World Heritage
Convention that call for a site to
exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of
time or within a cultural
area of the world, on developments and architecture or
technology, monumental arts, town-
planning, or landscape design, and must be an outstanding
example of a type of building,
architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which
illustrates significant stage, or
stages in human history,
Cognizant of Churchgate being proposed as a serial extension to
the Mumbai CST building,
already inscribed as a World Heritage Site, compared to other
structures built by F.W.Stevens
in the 19th Century,
Conscious of The Ministry of Railways of the Government of India
and the Western
Railways emphasis on proper maintenance and preservation of the
Churchgate building in its
true form,
Acknowledges the brimming activity and within and around
Churchgate similar to theMumbai CST in spite of developing air
travel, and their immense contribution as a crucial
element of the Western Railways in the Republic of India,
Recognizes Churchgate as an example par excellence that has
brought forth an amalgamation
of the great cultures of Britain, Central Asia and India,
facilitating the exchange and
interchange of human values and cultural elements,
Bearing in mind only 5 railway stations have been listed as
Grade 1 heritage structures in
Mumbai and, Churchgate and Mumbai CST are the finest of
these,
1) Takes note ofChurchgate being proposed as a serial extension
while having the samearchitecture, architect, purpose, and style
from the 19 th Century, adjacent to current
building, Mumbai CST which is already a World Heritage Site;
2) Strongly cri ticizesMumbais municipal corporation(s) for
having in the pastdisplayed a legacy of ignorance and unhealthy
avoidance pertaining to its heritage
structures,
i) The forts and structures, including the Chhatrapati Shivaji
Terminus (CST)holding the World Heritage Sites status, are lined
with careless patches ofcement, 19th century stone buildings have
now been crowned with extra floors
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of concrete and ancient trees in and around such areas are in
constant danger
of being cut to widen pavements;
3) DeploresMumbais Central Railways officials declaration a few
weeks beforeUNESCOs world heritage week, celebrated from 19
th
to 25
th
November, 2012, thatthe World Heritage Site status given to
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in 2004 was
interfering with their plans of renovating the station and
constructing commercial
towers on the site;
4) Calls uponMumbai to respect, keep up and maintain the dignity
associated withgranting the status of a World Heritage Site to
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, given
that it has brought about pride and a large volume of tourists
to the site, before issuing
revision plans to include serial extensions such as that of
Churchgate;
5) Affirmsin a city overflowing with built and natural
environments worth preserving,heritage is rarely a priority,
i. It has been 3 months since the Mumbai Heritage Conservation
Committeecompleted its term and the new one has still not been
appointed
ii. List of 900 new structures waiting to be listed has been
pending ever since itwas submitted to the municipal commissioner
five years ago
6) Confirmsthe Municipal Corporation of the city already
maintains sufficient funds tobe able to support the maintenance of
Churchgate area, and does not require, and has
not requested for extra funds from UNESCO for caretaking;
7) Notes with disapprovalMumbai as the financial capital and
urbanisation hub ofmodern-day India has failed in multiple ways to
balance its new sprouting city
structures with its age old architectural masterpieces with
special reference to
Churchgate, and it immediate surroundings;
8) Condemnsthis legacy of bureaucracy, carelessness and
nonchalance, which has led tothe deterioration of the one site in
the vicinity which already holds the World Heritage
Site status;
9) Urgesthe United Nations General Assembly, with the UNESCO
World HeritageCommittee to defer its decision for attributing the
status of a World Cultural Heritage
site to Churchgate, Mumbai until its scheduled next meeting,
requesting further
information and timely reports every trimester from the
Municipal Authorities upon
which it shall reconsider its decision.
Synopsis:
The permanent delegation of India wants the world cultural
heritage site status to be given to
the Churchgate building as a serial extension to the already
inscribed Mumbai CST building
