Iconic Bangalore building faces demolition despite stiff opposition

Bangalore's civic society, historians, academicians, theatre personalities and IT entrepreneurs are up in arms against the Congress government which is all set to demolish the historic 200-year-old Balabrooie Guest House in the heart of the city and build a Club House for the politicians, particularly MLAs and MLCs.

The government's move has come in for severe criticism from all sections of the society. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has even filed a Public Interest Litigation in the High Court of Karnataka seeking to protect the Guest House. The hearing into the case is yet to commence.

The state government has already handed over the landmark monument to the Legislature Secretariat to commence the tendering works. Normally, VVIPs, including chief ministers of the other states, Union ministers, judges and top bureaucrats stay at the Guest House. For the last one month the government has stopped entertaining guests in the building and diverting requests to other guest houses in the city.

The iconic building located in the heart of the city would be demolished to make way for a clubhouse.

The Balabrooie Guest House was constructed during the British era and was the official residence of the Commissioners of Bangalore till Independence. Spread across 15 acres amidst sprawling gardens containing 150 different varieties of centuries old trees, its location is among the last few remaining lung spaces of Bangalore. Nobel laureates, freedom fighters and foreign dignitaries have stayed at Balabrooie Guest House, which is among the heritage structures of the city. It was the official residence of the first three chief ministers of Karnataka.

"It is such an iconic building that the state government should continue to protect and preserve it. What is the need for building a Club House for the legislators at such a beautiful location? We are against the legislators using the location at the expense of tax payers' money for recreation purposes," said M. Muniyappa, BSP's Karnataka unit president, who has approached the High Court seeking relief.

Bangaloreans have launched a forum - Balabrooie Rakshisi (Save Balabrooie) - to fight the cause. On Sunday, they would take out a procession in Bangalore to register their protest against the conversion of the Guest House into a Club House. The forum is led by noted architect Naresh Narasimhan, theatre personalities Jagadish Raja, Arundathi Raja and Sreenivas G. Kappanna, artist S.G. Vasudev, filmmaker B. Suresha and others.

The state government has not yet officially responded to the objections against the proposal to build a Club House. "It is strange... The IAS officers have their own club, even the KAS officers have their own club. We lawmakers do not have a club. The idea to convert the Balabrooie Guest House into a Club House for legislators was approved by former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa. Now Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is taking forward that proposal," a senior minister, who did not wish to be named, contended.

However, the opponents of the proposal pointed out that there were several other buildings, which could be converted into a Club House. "The Carlton House (which is the headquarters of Corps of Detectives) is much more sprawling. The government can use that premises to build the Club House," observed Kappanna.