Today evening, along with my wife, I went to see the Red Fort once again.There was not much rush, but visitors were there, and a lot of school children. We visited the war museum, where the weapons of the Mughal period and other equipments are placed for show. The museum of the dress, utensils, books etc. of the Mughal period is shown in another museum. Of course we visited the Diwani-khas, Diwani-Am, Moti Mosque, garden and other places, people usually visit. While coming back looked at the merchandise in the Chhatt Bazar, the market specially made for the palace women to visit and purchase.

The Fort is said to be constructed during the period of Emperor Shajahan in the 1640s. The Mughal dynasty which started with Babar continued to rule till the period of the last Moghul, Bahadur Shah Zafar, who was taken captive by the British after the First war of Independence of 1857 and sent to Rangoon and died there in 1862. The Red Fort has stood erect for the last three hundred years and had seen the rule of the Moghuls, the British and the new rulers after Independence in 1947. In the 124 acre fort, after capturing, buildings have been constructed by the British for the military to stay. It does not fit in to the picture of the fort.

Almost all the valuables like money, priceless jewels, stones – every thing might have been looted by the British and will be in the British Musewum or in the forts and palaces of the king and the nobles in Britain. Some of them are being auctioned when the owners want some money. There is no limit to the wealth and valuable things taken away or shall I say stolen by the British from the country.The government of India should demand that all these valuables should be returned to India since it is the soverign property of India alone.

The saying is that ‘The Past is Past’. But some how I feel that the ‘Past is not Past alone, but a past from which a lot can be learnt and which can be used for making the present and future better for the mankind.’