Valley Citizen Council (VCC) says that local employees of the Archaelogical survey of India (ASI) are negligent and indifferent to proper preservation
Ancient artifacts in danger
Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court today directed Union of India, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and others to file reply within three weeks against a petition demanding conservation, protection and safe keeping of ancient and medieval artifacts, excavation sites and heritage monuments.
As the PIL filed by Valley Citizen Council (VCC) came up for hearing before a division bench, comprising Justices Hakeem Imtiyaz and Hasnain Masoodi, the counsel for Union of India and ASI sought four-week time to reply. The counsel also demanded a copy of the writ petition.
However, the court directed the counsel to reply within three weeks and ordered that a copy of the petition be supplied to the counsel.
The counsel for Kashmir University (KU), also respondent in the case, was also present in the court.
The other respondents in the case included the state of Jammu and Kashmir, Archaeological department and department of Language, Art and culture.
The VCC through its general secretary Imdad Saqi filed the petition and demanded providing necessary protection and conservation of artifacts, monuments and excavation sites and also sought accountability of missing artifacts and return of all antique valuables that had been displaced by authorities.
The petition about the SPS museum said that it houses some exceptionally rare Hindu sculptures from second to seventh century.
The canons of Dogra period are subjected to weathering by scattering them in the museum garden with nothing to shield them from the effects of climate change, the petition alleged.
Other such archaeological finds include a fourth century bronze frame depicting all incarnations of Lord Vishnu. A massive fourth century Shivalingam and numerous old coins and weaponry.
The PIL further alleged that the administrative staff in the museum had surprisingly been reduced considerably giving a clear sign of negligence.
It said that another spectrum of the present negligent scenario is the treatment that is being done by the Archeological excavations and artifacts of Kashmir’s rich heritage. Eighty four rare coins went missing from SPS museum.
About eight gold and 76 silver coins were also missing and remaining coins were stored in an unscientific and insecure procedure.
Mr Saqi said the 400-year-old replica of the Holy Quran, hand written by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, was also reported missing from the SPS museum.
He further alleged that the discovery of a mammoth head of a wild at Pampore by Kashmir University Geology and geophysics departments, was shifted to Jammu University without any sound reason.
The petition also sought directions to seek return of all those valuable artifacts that have been displaced; record the details of artifacts that are housed in the SPS museum and their actual number and also ascertain all sites of excavation and monuments and take measures for their protection.
(Kashmir Images)