Among the various heritage buildings of the city that I have written about, Gokhale Hall on Armenian Street, the property of the Young Men’s Indian Association (YMIA) remains a personal favourite. My interest in it was kindled by repeated references in relation to Carnatic music performances between 1915 and the 1950s, for it was a favoured venue despite its sub-par acoustics. From there, I progressed to learning about its fabled history — founded by Annie Besant, its association with freedom and social struggles, Jawaharlal Nehru’s moving tribute to it, and its long role in shaping the youth by its championing physical fitness and many indoor sports.
That such a historic building should be languishing was a matter of sorrow. And I was delighted when Arun Menon, Professor (Structural Engineering), Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras and Coordinator, National Centre for Safety of Heritage Structures (NCSHS), wrote to me gently chiding me for continuing to pen jeremiads in Madras Musings on the building when matters are actually progressing towards restoration. He says the YMIA has signed a tripartite MoU with the NCSHS and the National Council for Science Museums (NCSM), Kolkata, under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, in September 2022 for a project aimed at adapting the heritage structure into a Museum of the Freedom Struggle, with emphasis on freedom fighters from Tamil Nadu.
After a thorough study spanning over eight months, NCSHS submitted a feasibility report for use of the heritage building for the above purpose, together with a detailed project report with the necessary structural restoration interventions and ancillary facilities to cater to such an activity in the building. The museum layout has been designed by NCSM.
What is heartening is that Arun reassures me on the condition of the building itself: “While there are segments of the building with severely dilapidated floors, the central domed hall (from which the building gets its name) and the front facade and spaces adjoining these are in fairly good condition.” He says that my comment that the building is “roofless for 14 years now and hanging by a thread is not representative”.
NCSM says Arun has obtained permission from the Heritage Conservation Committee (HCC) of the CMDA last week, “after due process of submission of proposed restoration details, discussions and design alterations extending over the period July 2023 to March 2024. NCSM will now proceed with tendering to rehabilitate the building and put in place the proposed museum, with funds from the Ministry of Culture (GoI).”
With that, hopefully, Gokhale Hall will see better days. Its attempted demolition in 2009/10 and almost simultaneously that of Bharat Insurance (Kardyl) Building were challenged in the Madras High Court. The Bench, comprising Justice Prabha Sridevan and Justice PPS Janarthana Raja, ruled that the buildings needed preservation. It was this piece of litigation that saw for the first time a compilation of built heritage in the city and a direction to the government to form a Heritage Conservation Committee.
There has been a sea change in the attitude to heritage thereafter. The PWD now has a heritage cell and many government-owned buildings have since been restored or are in the midst of it. Central government institutions and undertakings such as the Department of Posts and LIC too have begun taking steps to restore the heritage buildings in the city. The State Bank of India is yet to announce its plans for the fire-ravaged Bank of Madras building on Rajaji Salai.
In the meanwhile, Gokhale Hall will blossom once again.
(V. Sriram is a writer and historian.)
