Patna, Nov 24 (PTI) The buildings of centuries-old Patna Collectorate are "rare architectural specimens" of the Dutch and British eras and a testimony to the city's rich commercial past, which should be preserved and "proudly showcased" to tell the story of the evolution of Patna to the locals and the global community, experts said.

The fate of Patna Collectorate currently hangs in the balance and on the occasion of the World Heritage Week, history scholars, urban conservationists and activists working appealed to the authorities to not demolish the iconic landmark, and urged locals to cultivate a "sense of ownership for heritage without any bias".

Also Read | ICAI CA November 2020 Exam Update: Intermediate And IPC Examination in Tamil Nadu And Puducherry Postponed Due to Cyclone Nivar.

Murari Kumar Jha, assistant professor in the Division of Humanities and Languages at the School of Arts and Sciences, Ahmedabad University, describes the Patna Collectorate buildings as rare architectural specimens and an important heritage of the city.

"The Collectorate is a testimony to city's rich commercial past when Patna was a major trans-shipment centre relaying goods to the Bengal coasts. The Dutch East India Company (VOC) often spent a good deal of money for building robust structures as its trading posts or factories. One such post built on the banks of the Ganga by the VOC in Patna has been in continuous use for more than three centuries. Its function as the Patna Collectorate spans more than one-and-a-half century now," he said.

Also Read | MangoTV, Alipay Cashier, DingTalk, Singol Banned: Full List of 43 Chinese Apps Banned by Indian Government on November 24, 2020.

The Dutch-era buildings of the Collectorate, include the Record Room, the oldest structure on the campus, and Old District Engineer's Office building, while the DM Office and 1938-built District Board Patna buildings were constructed during the British period.

The 12-acre complex, parts of which are over 250 years old, has high ceilings, huge doors and hanging skylights, and it also featured in some of the key scenes in the Oscar winning film ''Gandhi''.

"The city still has historically important buildings which can be restored, sensitively conserved and proudly showcased as remnants of an era when Patna was a thriving riverine port city and an important commercial and manufacturing centre connected with the early modern global economy," Jha told PTI.

Jha had studied and researched at Leiden University in the Netherlands for more than six years.

His research focussed on the economic history of the Ganga and Bihar and the Dutch and other Europeans participation in it.

He said the VOC built factories or posts in Patna, Fatuah and Chhapra and added that "a factory meant not just a trading post, but it often had a garden, warehouse, quarters and other buildings, some of which were used as offices".

On the occasion of World Heritage Week, scholars and heritage activists urged the Bihar government and the citizens to protect the city's pre-colonial and colonial heritage and learn about their role and functions – whether positive or otherwise.

"The younger generation, high school-going students and local populace in Patna must be told about the evolution of the city in the early modern or Mughal period. Getting to know the city as a cosmopolitan place, an export centre for a range of goods and entrepreneurial spirit of its merchants will surely inspire many young people," Jha asserted.

Mumbai-based urban conservationist echoed Jha, saying old cities like Patna have layers of history and they sort of intertwine with each other.

"And, hence a very sensitive approach is needed to deal with such remnants of past, otherwise in the name of colonial bias, we end up losing a significant piece of our built heritage, as neither the government nor the local community shows a sense of ownership towards such buildings, as the Patna Collectorate, which is an integral element in the evolution of the city," she said.

The Bihar government in 2016 had proposed to demolish the Patna Collectorate to make way for a new complex, sparking huge public outcry and appeal to save it from various quarters in India and abroad.

Heritage body INTACH took the matter to the Patna High Court in 2019 and in September 2020 to the Supreme Court, which had given a stay on its demolition till further orders.

The Bihar government claims that the Collectorate building "does not have much architectural, cultural or aesthetic value" as it was used to "store opium and saltpetre".

“I have read that the Collectorate building's association with commodities such as opium and saltpeter (used in making gunpowder) was brought up by the government to de-legitimise its historical importance. Back then opium was one of the most lucrative cash crops for the farmers. Trade in this commodity was perfectly legal and Indians were least addicted to it. It makes no sense to judge opium and saltpeter in the 17th and 18th centuries from the contemporary concerns around the drugs and firearms problem,” Jha said.

Environment and heritage activist Sourabh Sengupta, actively associated with Save Historic Patna Collectorate movement, said, "Our heritage is in peril because either, we as a society have become insensitive or driven by bias that these are not our heritage. We need to have a sense of ownership that these buildings are our heritage".

Jha said, "Unlike the city's somewhat inward-looking image today, the Collectorate is a standing proof that Patna was far more outward-looking and connected with the world during the early modern or Mughal period. The Collectorate is also a reminder of the fact that Patna once had a thriving commercial past – a past waiting to be reclaimed if only we know about it".

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)