Bunty Babli to star in anti graffiti campaign

Vineeta Pandey
Wednesday, October 18, 2006 23:31 IST


NEW DELHI: The conservationists’ headache may soon get over as the government goes big way to shoo away graffiti writers from scribbling on walls of monuments.

Tired by the constant expressions by the love birds and compulsive creative souls on the walls of Qutub Minar, Red Fort, Humayun’s Tomb, Gateway of India and other such heritage structures, the union Tourism and Culture Ministry has decided to launch campaigns to protect the walls and roofs of these monuments of historic and national importance from being damaged.

Apart from penalising the offenders and fixing responsibility at the guards’ level for any such damage, the ministry has also roped in Bollywood stars like Shah Rukh Khan to spread the message among the public.

“Adding on to our Atithi Devo Bhava campaign which sensitised taxi drivers and airport employees, we are now launching another campaign to create awareness against garbage droppings and scribbling of graffiti on monuments.

It is essential to imbibe in people a sense of belonging and pride about where they live,” said union minister for tourism and culture, Ambika Soni.

The officials in the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) say that conservation and restoration work in monuments becomes extremely difficult with people damaging and defacing the structures.

In a minute-long video spot prepared by the ministry, a couple — Bunty and Babli — is shown throwing garbage at tourist places and writing graffiti on historical monuments through the day.

When they return home they see their own house messed up by someone else. Enters Shah Rukh Khan with a message urging people to take care of their cities and monuments as they would of their homes.

This is not the first time cine stars are campaigning for cleanliness. Recently, Shah Rukh Khan and Priety Zinta had picked up brooms and swept through Mumbai’s roads to drive home the point.

Meanwhile, union Minister for Defence Pranab Mukherjee has asked senior commanders of all the three forces to identify heritage buildings under their commands and begin active restoration under the supervision of the ASI.

A good example being cited is the Navy’s success in restoring and preserving the structures in its western command headquarters in Mumbai and the southern command in Kochi.