Book Title: Innovative Approaches in Multidisciplinary Research and Development (IAMRD)
Chief Editors: Dr. Anil Kashinath Salunke and Dr. Rituraj Pant
Associate Editors: Prof. (Dr.) Sourav Madhur Dey and Dr. Amrutha Satheesan
Co-Editors: Dr. Souvik Sur and Dr. Phakir Singh
ISBN: 978-93-7183-004-1
Chapter: 21
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59646/708/21
Author: Dr. Kartika Saharan
Abstract
In recent times, the politics of monuments and public memory have become the focal point of current public history debates concerning public memory and identity and cultural representation. This research paper will examine the nature of monuments as a complex place of memory which influences collective memory in the city and country. The study explores the public monuments of historical figures, the colonial heritage, national heroes and events that are controversial, and how such representations affect society’s understanding of history. The research design is a qualitative approach that involves analyzing documents to discover the historical records, policy frameworks, and media reports, and interpreting selected monuments and memorial sites. The results reveal the strong political ideology, cultural power structure, and changing public opinion that shape monument building and conservation, as well as the weight of state and local cultures in shaping the museum’s priorities and policies. The results demonstrate the importance of political ideology, cultural power dynamics, and public opinion to the processes of monument building and preservation, and highlight the influence of state and local cultures on the priorities and policies of the museum. Monuments may take more a formal, nationalistic and state-sanctioned character in urban environments, and can be more informal, perhaps rooted in local history and community memory, in rural and marginalized areas. Moreover, the research uncovers emerging public discussions of the removal, renaming, and reinterpretation of monuments, from which it becomes clear that there are conflicting interests between the preservation of heritage and the issue of historical accountability. The paper also elaborates on policy aspects for heritage management that include inclusive representation, community participation and ethical history management.
Keywords: Public history, Monuments, Collective memory, Cultural politics, Heritage studies, Identity formation, Historical representation, Memory studies, Urban history, Contested heritage