A victory for hyderabad

Hyderabad: September 16, 2019 will be frozen in the memory of heritage activists and people who care for age-old structures. Even as the politicians were busy in the State Assembly, the news that Telangana High Court on Monday directed the government not to demolish Errum Manzil, a heritage structure, for construction of a new Assembly building had the entire city, nee heritage activists, heave a sigh of relief.

Even as the news spread fast, congratulatory messages went viral on social media. Nawab Shafath Ali Khan, Secretary, Nawab Fakhrul Mulk Bahadur Legal Heirs Association, said, "It is a very happy day not just for family members but also for the city. Errum Manzil is a part of Hyderabad culture and history. It is bigger than even some of the palaces in London."

Nawab Fakhrul Mulk Bahadur built the Errum Manzil in 1870. Revathy, a resident of Khairatabad, said, "We only hope that the government now stops looking at heritage structures. First it was Chest Hospital, then Bison Polo Grounds and in the past few months the attention was on the Errum Manzil."

Rakesh, a student of architecture says, "Look at Rome, Paris and London, the governments there go out of their way to protect heritage structures. Hyderabad is known the world over for its monuments. We have already lost many palaces in the Old City and just two gates remain."

The government contention was to remove Errum Manzil from the list of heritage structures. Opposition parties, heritage activists and descendants of Nawab Fakrul Mulk raised objections and went to court.

When asked if there were chances of the government approaching the Supreme Court, Deepak Kant Gir, an activist, said, "There are no grounds that their case would be upheld. All aspects were covered and the general clauses act was looked into."

It is not just a victory for the family but a victory for Hyderabad. I had implicit faith in the judiciary

- Nawab Shafath Ali Khan, Secretary, Nawab Fakhrul Mulk Bahadur Legal Heirs Association

The decision comes as an encouragement to heritage lovers. Our faith in judiciary is reconfirmed

- Mohammed Safiullah, Managing Trustee, Deccan Heritage Trust

It was a brilliantly argued case and we had to go into a lot of details. The Chief Justice has given a wonderful verdict. Once a heritage, always a heritage. We are delighted and eager are looking forward to this Sunday to clean up Fateh Darwaza."

– Deepak Kant Gir, Founder, Hyderabad Heritage Trust

The High Court's decision is music to the ears or all heritage buildings would have been denotified. Hyderabad has a rich history and these monuments reflect the glory of the past which the government wanted to erase

- Omim Debara, heritage activist