HYDERABAD: Heritage activists and kins of Nawab Safdar Jung Fakhrul Mulk Musheer-ud-daula hailed the judgement given by the High Court on Monday which barred the Telangana government from demolishing Errum Manzil.
Nawab Shafath Ali Khan, kin of Fakhrul Mulk and the secretary of the Nawab Fakhrul Mulk Legal Heirs Association said, “I hail the judgement. This is a victory not only for the family but also for entire Hyderabad. My great grandfather was a visionary in building this palace, and it showed in the facade of the structure.” He added, “In the late 1940s we gave it to the AP government in the hope that it would be well maintained. However, it was ruined. Even when the CM decided to demolish, we made a petition requesting him not to. Now, that the government offices have been shifted from the palace, it would be easier for the government to maintain and restore it to its former glory.”
The judgement is important not just for Errum Manzil, but also for the over 150 heritage structures that are protected under Regulation 13 of the HMDA. When the Telangana government brought in the Telangana Heritage Law, it dissolved that regulation, thus ‘stripping’ heritage structures of its protection, or that is what the government thought.
The High Court during the proceedings pointed out that the HMDA regulations still exist, and that the government has to take the permission of the HMDA and the Heritage Conservation Committee for going ahead with the demolition. This means, that over 150 heritage structures, including Chowmahalla Palace and others, are still protected under the law.
Speaking to Express Deepak Gir of the Hyderabad Heritage Trust said, “This is a landmark judgement. It is very technical and was fought on technical grounds, expertly guided by the Chief Justice (Raghvendra Singh Rathore). This would be a very good study case for heritage activists.”