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West Bengal
Lost heritage
Ranabir Ray Choudhury
Door shut too late: A mid-1960s picture of the British Indian Association building at 18, Abdul Hamid Street (formerly British Indian Association Street), which was demolished some years ago to make way for an officecum- commercial complex on the same plot of land. At the time of the demolition, the building did not figure on the heritage list of Kolkata buildings brought out by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (the `first' list - of 84 buildings "of exceptional importance" - is to be found at the KMC Web site), although the Indian Association building - the early history of which is closely linked to that of the British Indian Association - at 62, B.B. Ganguly Street does.
However, according to senior KMC officials, subsequently, the old British Indian Association building at the above address (since demolished) has been included in the expanded heritage buildings list (now being revised) - a classic demonstration of the adage which refers to the stable door being shut after the horse has bolted.
Earlier this month, the British Indian Association held its 150th anniversary gathering, the meeting being held in the rooms of the Association in the office-cum-commercial complex instead of the old building, which was built at a cost of Rs 40,000 in the 1860s.
Among the contributors were the Maharaja of Vizianagram, Maharaja Durga Churn Law, Raja Satyasaran Ghoshal, Raja Rajendra Mullick, Prasanna Kumar Tagore, Joteendra Mohun Tagore and Joy Kissen Mukherjee.
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