Officials at the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) must
be disappointed today if they thought that their implementation of increased
entry fees at listed monuments was going to be trouble-free. While ASI
spokespersons' assertion that the new entry fees are in line with the cost to
visit heritage sites in other countries may be true, this did not stop
protesters from massing at the gates to the UNESCO-designated Sun Temple at
Konarak in Orissa State.
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| Sun Temple, Konarak * |
Concerned that the increased entry fees would deter tourists
from visiting the site, local residents effectively shut down the ticket
counter for much day on April 2, 2016.
While they finally agreed to end their demonstration after receiving the
promise of a meeting with site administrators next week. Expect more protests
if the ASI does not back down.
At a broader level, there is a lesson here for any country
seeking to impose across-the-board changes to heritage site entry fees. Given
that the economic importance of heritage sites is likely to vary widely from
one community to the next, early consultation and a sensitive approach to
implementation are vital if the changes are to be accepted.
* Photo credit: By Souvik Burman - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28028170
