Children draw attention to crumbling heritage building
GLORIOUS PAST The famous Lucknow Pact (1916) was signed in Rifa-e-Aam Club
Bearing placards and signage, a bunch of tinytots staged a demonstration at the famous Rifa-e-Aam Club on Thursday. The aim behind the silent, yet powerful demonstration was to draw the attention of the state government to the pitiable state of this royal club, once considered an indispensable part of the Indian freedom movement.
The club was a witness to the famous Lucknow Pact (1916), that was signed in the main hall of the building. It was frequented by famous personalities, including Munshi Prem Chand, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawahar Lal Nehru and others.
“But the once reputed place is now a garbage dump. It is painful to see the sorry state of the building, which is now home to rag pickers and rickshaw pullers and has also become a hub of anti-social activities,” said Nida Rizvi, a member of the royal family of Awadh, who led the demonstration.
Nida, the granddaughter of Karbalai Nawab and wife of Nawab Sayed Mohammed Ammar Rizvi, said the club was a happening place till 2003. “We came here to play badminton. It had the state’s first indoor badminton court. Besides, it was the venue for meetings and functions of the royal families of Awadh,” Nida said.
In 2004, however, decline set, after the building became a disputed property. “It has badly affected maintenance and repairs, causing its deterioration,” said Nida. If not checked, she said the building would soon be lost in oblivion.
The idea behind staging the demonstration was to save the heritage monument and to restore its lost glory. “We appeal to the chief minister to save this historic place,” she said.
The club was said to have been established in 1830 by nawabs and taluqdar to hold their family functions. A few historians said the club was later opened to commoners and it was named as Rifa-e-Aam which means ‘happiness to all’.
“Since all British establishments had a board mentioning ‘Dogs and Indians not allowed’, the nawabs here formed their own club and later on it was named as Rifa-e-aam and was opened to commoners,” said Yogesh Praveen, a noted historian who has worked extensively on the historical monuments of Lucknow.
The club, he said, should be turned into a heritage hotel. “It is a historical building and it should be preserved by the tourism department,” he said.