NEW DELHI: The Red Fort has turned into a high-security zone as India hosts, for the first time, the 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of UNESCO, days after a deadly blast near the monument.
The week-long meeting, being held from December 8 to 13 inside the fort complex, comes against the backdrop of the November 10 Red Fort blast that killed 15 people and injured more than two dozen, prompting a massive security overhaul in and around the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Multiple layers of security have been put in place, with Delhi Police and paramilitary forces manning both the perimeter and inner precincts of the fort. Delegates and accredited media entering from the busy Chandni Chowk side are being funnelled through a labyrinthine series of barricades before they can approach the heavily guarded Lahori Gate and access the venue.
“This is the same spot where the blast took place in November, and since this is a very big international event being held in Delhi, security is very tight, day or night,” a police personnel on duty said, pointing to a layer of soot still visible on a street side near the gate of the Lal Quila Metro Station, where fresh rows of ‘Delhi Police’ barricades now stand.
Only UNESCO-accredited delegates and media with dedicated badges are being allowed entry into the Red Fort complex. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which has jurisdiction over the site, has closed the monument to general visitors from December 5 and plans to keep it shut till December 14.
While an armed CISF contingent guards the entry from the Delhi Gate side, Delhi Police and paramilitary personnel maintain a constant vigil inside, tracking the movement of delegates and guests. After dark, bike-borne police patrol the street skirting the fort’s perimeter, from Lahori Gate to Delhi Gate, as part of the enhanced deployment.
The high-profile session formally opened on December 7 with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar as chief guest. Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and India’s Ambassador and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, Vishal V Sharma, attended the ceremony.
On Wednesday, India’s Deepavali, the festival of lights, was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, adding to the significance of the gathering for the host country. In the evening, a cultural programme was organised for delegates on the lawns facing the iconic Diwan-i-Aam, followed by a gala dinner held under a tight security ring.
“It is a pleasure to be in India for the first time, to know more about this land and its people,” said Abu Dhabi-based Walid Al Halani, a member of the UAE delegation, speaking on the sidelines of the session.
Outside the high-security cordon, life is slowly returning to normal in the adjoining Old Lajpat Rai Market, even as traders still speak in hushed tones about the November blast. “We have to move on, but the scars are there,” said a trader who did not wish to be named.
The Red Fort, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as the palace of his capital Shahjahanabad, is one of Delhi’s most visited tourist attractions, drawing heavy footfall daily in normal times. Its massive fortified walls, whose construction was completed between 1638 and 1648, have long been a symbol of India’s political and cultural heritage.
In 2023, the fort also hosted the maiden India Art, Architecture and Design Biennale (IAADB), reinforcing its status as a marquee venue for major national and international cultural events. The ongoing UNESCO ICH session, officials say, has further underlined both its global profile and the security challenges that come with it.
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