Dutch cemetery picture of neglect

49 Dutch tombs are under the care of State Archaeological Survey department, which seemingly has not been able to do much towards its upkeep

By Hemington James

Posted On Friday, September 26, 2008 at 02:27:08 AM

A portrait of Ahmedabad of 1672 which was made by Philip Baldeaus, a Dutchman It’s a legacy of the Dutch we’ve failed to preserve. Dutch tombs at the One Tree Hill Garden in Kankaria are in a state of neglect, and just not in keeping with the high standards of artistry and building prowess the European community possessed. The cemetery consists of 49 Dutch tombs and some Armenian graves, all of which date back to the period between 1615 and 1700. The structures are under the care of State Archaeological Survey department (SAD), which though has not been able to do much towards its upkeep. The cluster of tombs was declared a heritage site in 1972 when the land was taken over by the archaeology department from the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. Since then, AMC plays no role in maintaining it. The tombs are covered with grass and names etched in stone reflect the neglect it has fallen into No archaeology department or government officials ever visit the place oversee its maintenance. Some cleaning work was undertaken in the area recently when chief minister Narendra Modi was to inaugurate a statue of Pandit Dindayal Upadhyay, but that was a one-time affair and cosmetic. R K Sahu, superintendent of Kankaria zoo in the vicinity, said, “Though it is the archaeology department’s duty to look after the tombs, we took the initiative to send our men to clean it. But we can’t continue doing that for very long. A few years ago, a woman with some Dutch connection, arranged a party here. The place was done up a bit for the occasion.” The tombs were damaged in the earthquake in 2001. The SAD undertook renovation work at the site between 2000 to 2005 and spent some Rs 9 lakh. The maintenance slackened after that. Currently, the site is shrouded in dense growth of wild grass. The graffiti on the walls and names etched in stone reflect the neglect it has fallen into. There is no security guard or any caretaker to maintain the tombs. Noor Mohammed, a sweeper at the garden, said, “We know these tombs are very old and precious, but nobody takes care of them. No government official or worker ever comes here to oversee their maintenance.” AM asked State Archaeological Department director Y S Rawat what the organisation was doing to maintain the heritage structures. He said, “We had undertaken conservation work after the earthquake. The grass at the tombs that you see today has grown because of the rains. A local man (whose name he did not know) cleans the tombs. We cannot focus on any one place for there are many monuments to look after.”