A Petition to the Chief Minister of West Bengal, India for protecting, conserving, restoring and further enlistment of the Heritage of Cooch Behar, in a scientific method, following, guidelines from experts.

First of all we would like to thank the Government of West Bengal for declaring 154 buildings, sites, precincts etc. within Cooch Behar District and the Cooch Behar Town as heritage. In this regard, we would like to draw your kind attention on some of the recent activities carried out by the District Administration, Cooch Behar, on which we are expressing our utter discontent and forwarding our suggestions for your perusal. Following are the points on which we, the inhabitants of Cooch Behar District and Cooch Behar lovers, in consultation with heritage experts, has agreed upon for the restoration/conservation/ preservation of our heritage town. It may also imply for the entire District.
It should always be kept in mind that restoration/conservation/preservation does not involve demolition or reconstruction of the heritage. Such a work done, must always keep pace with the original work, for which detailed research is essential. Following are some of our suggestions in general:

1.During the restoration/conservation/ preservation work none of the existing heritage structures can be destroyed, whatsoever, the consequences may be, the authorities must work out a meaningful and secure solution.

2. If any of the heritage structures, sites, assets, precincts, trees etc. stands in the path of the above mentioned works, priority is to be given to the heritage structures and substitute development must be worked out carefully.

3. While restoring heritage buildings strict rules should be followed. During the renovation or replacement of damaged doors, windows, ceilings etc., they should always exhibit the same designs, texture, preferably the same material etc. as far as possible. 

4. While restoring designs on heritage buildings similar, strict rules should be followed, special care should be taken for the stucco works as any alteration in their designs would be devastating in maintaining the heritage look and the architectural features, typology etc. of the structures.

5. The same stringency should also be followed, while adding colour to the walls, both interior and exterior of the buildings and colour or varnishes to the doors, windows etc.

6. Great care should be taken to protect the existing old trees of the town and the verdant altogether.

7. Constructing pucca banks on the ponds should be avoided to protect the ecosystem. Walls often guard the view of the ponds, thus, barbed wire fences or railings (preferably of cast iron) should be used. 

8. New plants to be introduced in the Town for beautification, increasing greenery etc. must be selected carefully as to avoid species invasion as far as possible.

9. Implantation should be done in a planned way. Planting trees on the banks of water-bodies must be avoided to resist Eutrophication from the fallen leaves, plant debris etc.

10. From the twentieth century a remarkable feature for enclosing the State buildings with barbed-wire fences lined with hedges of Glory bower or Volkameria inermis of the Lamiaceae family, pruned at regular intervals can be noticed in Cooch Behar. Since, this practice was preponderant during the State period, a thought can be given to reintroduce the practice in Cooch Behar, as a part of the heritage campaign.

11. The Government should take a serious initiative towards conserving the remaining habitats of the Indian Peacock Soft Shelled Turtle or Nilssonia sp. of Trionychidae family which according to the Red Data Book or Red List of the ‘International Union for Conservation of Nature’ (IUCN) has been mentioned as ‘Vulnarable’ under the ‘Threatened’ category and the Asian openbills or Asian openbill storks or Anastomus oscitans, of the Ciconiidae family, commonly known as ‘Shamukkhol’ in North Bengal, of Cooch Behar.

12. It appears from the recent activities, that the plans devised for heritage restoration/conservation/preservation imparts more importance on construction and are mostly subjected to severe alteration, which is verily in contradiction with the heritage restoration/conservation/preservation methodology. Therefore, these plans are in a position of serious revision, reconsideration and even rejection, where it tends to obscure the heritage concept and damage or destroy the same.

13. All of the above mentioned work should be done in a scientific method, following, guidelines from expert Archaeological Engineers and Archaeological Chemists, having specialization and long experience in handling conservation issues of such centenarian historic structures built in lime-mortar. It is also very essential to preserve the structural integrity and authenticity of these historic structures, which we are hopeful, experts shall aid to safeguard accordingly. Environmental experts should also be consulted.

14. We shall also request you to constitute an advisory board comprising of such experts, which would ensure their regular advice and field involvement.

Below are our claims coupled with suggestions for the betterment of Cooch Behar and heritage restoration/conservation/preservation work:

15. The sitting arrangements on the western ghat of Sagar Dighi or Shiv Bari ghat must be restored appropriately without any alteration. The old sitting arrangements of the other three ghats of Sagar Dighi must be protected. To protect all of the old sitting arrangements of the ghats the proposed footpath must follow an alternate way. 

16. For the sitting arrangements on the banks of Sagar Dighi and others, cast iron benches with wooden platforms, which once adorned the Sagar Dighi should be used. Since, it is also in accordance with the heritage.

17. The sitting arrangements on the western ghat of Bairaghi Dighi must be restored appropriately without any alteration and a tablet in the memory of Janaki Nath Teowari, the person who donated the money for construction of the ghat must be placed therein. The wall enclosing the entrance of the ghat must also be put down, since, the said ghat, as well as others, forms an indispensable part of the social, religious and cultural heritage of Cooch Behar. [Note: Assistance can be provided regarding the details of the script to be inscribed on the tablet.]

18. The array of cast iron lamp-posts uprooted on the eastern bank of Bairagi Dighi must be reinstalled on their original location and restored appropriately; they can also be made functional again using suitable electric lights. In doing so, if the new beautification plan is altered, then it should be altered carefully to keep pace with the heritage posts.

19. The fountain which hampers the easy breeding of the fishes in Bairagi Dighi must be removed elsewhere. It should be kept in mind, that the waters of Bairagi Dighi are considered sacred by the people of Cooch Behar, therefore, any similar attempt would touch reverberations.

20. The administration must keep its distance from erecting buildings (as in case of the northern bank of Bairagi Dighi square) on the banks of ponds, which not only veils the view of the ponds, but, also affects the ecosystem.

21. The construction works on the field of Sanskritik Sangha alias Sadharan Brahma Samaj of Cooch Behar must immediately be ceased. The western field of the Sanskritik Sangha formed a heritage Tennis and Badminton court, where many notable players, including the Royal family of Cooch Behar use to play. While the eastern field played a pivotal role for housing many great functions, involving the participation of eminent personalities, including Soumendra Nath Tagore, Radha Rani Devi, Kanika Bandopadhyaya, Narayan Gangopadhyaya and others. The two fields should be restored to their original status and made available for public utility. Such fields are very important as a playground and green-view in a rapidly urbanising town like Cooch Behar.

22. A height barrier (regulation, preferably a board) should be set up to protect the pillars and sentry house of the Small-gate-complex of Cooch Behar Palace, near Devi Bari.

23. The arches and brick-work securing the old drains in Cooch Behar, should be kept intact, as far as possible, especially, the one emerging from the east of Student’s Health Home and terminating near the Samshan. Some of the arches over the drains which, despite some minor damages are still serving their purposes should be kept intact and those which are damaged should be restored.

24. It took almost fifty years to plan and construct the sewerage system in Cooch Behar. Most of the drains in the old town consists of bench marks. Extreme care should be taken to restore such a delicate and sophisticated system, which owing to the lack of proper maintenance in the past few decades, has become non-functional in the most part.

25. The extensions recently done over the banks of ponds should be curtailed and the banks which has been sealed with concrete must be reclaimed or restored to their previous and original earthen pattern as the concrete banks cause immense harm to the ecology of water bodies.

26. We are of the opinion to make use of the remaining cast iron lamp-posts, automatically closing water fountains, water-tubs, road-tablets and culverts scattered throughout the Town in their very own place with proper restoration. Since, removing or destroying these assets will deface the heritage look of the Town.

27. It would be a great initiative if more of similar posts etc. could be installed in place of the missing ones with proper inquiry.

28. The administration should bear responsibility to secure the buildings, sites, precincts already declared as heritage. We regret to write, that already owing to the negligence of the administration, the Tarafder Dighi (Sl. No. 107 on the heritage list) has been partially filled up; the Thakur Dalan of Bhattacharya Bari (Sl. No. 21), the one and only Thakur Dalan existing in the town, has been entirely demolished; the house of late Ashruman Das Gupta (Sl. No. 52), Royal Tutor and former Minister of Cooch Behar State, has been mutilated and a new construction work now stands partially on a portion of the said house; the beautiful and historical house of Ahsanullah Ahmed (Sl. No. 152) has been entirely destroyed and not even a single brick is left to show that ever a heritage house once stood at this place. All of this has been done after the Government declared these assets as heritage. Therefore, if the Government cannot bear the responsibility of protecting these heritage structures (&c.), what is the use of merely declaring them as heritage?

29. The recent destruction (partial) and consequent renovation of one of the pillars of the Small gate of Cooch Behar palace has shown how it was renovated using inappropriate quality of lime and the English brick bonds of the gate were converted to running bonds altering the heritage authenticity of the structure.
30. A similar case can be observed in Dil Khush (Sl. No. 97), where the stucco work on the cornices of old pillars, the colour of the edifice and tin-roof was altered grievously.

31. We would request the honourable Government to initiate a survey, to collect data and inform the correct status of the enlisted heritage and more importantly, to include the other historical buildings, sites, precincts etc. scattered throughout the Cooch Behar District within the said list.

Immediate measures are deemed, till then we remain 

Yours Faithfully,

Inhabitants of Cooch Behar and Cooch Behar Lovers.