Red Fort hosts UNESCO meet amid heavy security post Delhi blast

A delegate entering the Red Fort complex from Delhi's Chandni Chowk side, has to cross a labyrinthine set of security barricades before passing the heavily guarded Lahori Gate area to gain admission in the venue of a key UNESCO meet, being held in India for the first time.

Security personnel, both from Delhi Police and paramilitary forces, are maintaining a hawk-eyed vigil on both the perimeter and inner premises of the Mughal-era monument, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

UNESCO event

India is hosting the 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage from December 8 to December 13, at the Fort. The meeting comes against the backdrop of the November 10 blast that killed 15 people and injured more than two dozen.

The 17th-century complex, which falls under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), has been closed to visitors since December 5 for the event. An ASI official earlier said it would remain shut until December 14.

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Only the delegates and media personnel who have been accredited by UNESCO and the host country can enter the Red Fort.

Heightened security

Security barricades bearing Delhi Police signage have been arranged in a labyrinth near the blast site. A police officer on duty pointed to soot still visible on the roadside near the Lal Quila Metro Station gate, where the barricades now stand.

"This is the same spot where the blast took place in November, and since it is a big international event being held in Delhi, security is very tight, day or night," the personnel told the news agency PTI.

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An armed CISF has been guarding the entry to the fort complex from its Delhi Gate side.

Inside the fort, security personnel have been keeping a constant watch as delegates and other guests travel in and out. After dark, bike-borne policemen have been patrolling the street along the perimeter of the fort complex, from Lahori Gate to Delhi Gate.

Grand ceremonies

The event's opening ceremony was held on December 7, with the external affairs minister S Jaishankar as the 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, were present at the opening ceremony.

On December 10, India's Deepavali, the festival of lights, was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In the evening, a cultural programme was hosted for delegates and others in the lawns facing the iconic Diwan-i-Aam, followed by a gala dinner.

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Abu Dhabi-based Walid Al Halani, a member of the UAE delegation at the session, told PTI, "It is a pleasure to be in India for the first time, to know more about this land and its people."

Traders in fear

Traders at the Old Lajpat Rai Market, however, have been talking in a hushed tone about the blast, trying to put the unpleasant past behind. "We have to move on, but the scars remain," said a trader, who did not wish to be named.

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The Red Fort is a popular tourist attraction that receives heavy footfalls every day. Built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as the palace of his capital, Shahjahanabad, the complex is famous for its massive fortified walls. Its construction was completed over a span of ten years, between 1638 and 1648.

The fort also hosted the maiden India Art, Architecture and Design Biennale (IAADB) in 2023.