Accessing documents of historic importance

29/11/2020

The adamant attitude of the administration is notwithstanding the fact that due to ongoing conservation work at historic Mubarak Mandi Complex very few people are in a position to have access to the Archival Record and Dogra Art Museum and even due to massive dust being generated by ongoing works keeping record there for more period amounts to deteriorating its quality further. Even after the lapse of four years, the explicit directives of the High Court regarding shifting of Archival Record and Dogra Art Museum to Kala Kendra at Bikram Chowk have remained unimplemented mainly due to adamant attitude of those at the helm of affairs in the Department of Archives, Archaeology and Museum. The inordinate delay in this regard is creating impediment in start of conversation work of vital portion of the historic Mubarak Mandi Complex, which otherwise was allotted through e-tendering in the month of October last year. As highlighted by our newspaper in a writ petition titled Shah MohdChoudhary Versus State of Jammu and Kashmir and Others, Justice TashiRabstan had, on November 24, 2016, ordered, "keeping in view the deteriorating condition of the building and having regard to the report submitted on the subject, I deem it proper to direct the respondents for immediate shifting of the records of the Department of Archives and Archaeology to the first floor of Kala Kendra at Bikram Chowk for their safe keeping till permanent arrangement is made".
In blatant violation of the High Court directives and approved Master Plan, the Deputy Director of Archives, Archaeology and Museum Jammu dashed a communication to the Executive Director of Mubarak Mandi Heritage Society laying stress on shifting of Archival Record and Dogra Art Museum to recently renovated Army Headquarters inside the Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex. It seems that Department of Archives, Archaeology and Museum had kept the Advisor in dark about the directives of the High Court and even otherwise the Army Headquarters doesn't have all the paraphernalia to ensure proper upkeep and maintenance of the record. As entire Mubarak Mandi Complex will remain out of bound for the people for minimum four-five years because of ongoing conservation works, shifting of Archival Record and Dogra Art Museum to Army Headquarters would amount to depriving the people of access to the historic record and other valuables and if the Department of Archives, Archaeology and Museum feels that there are some problems in keeping the Archival Record and Dogra Art Museum to Kala Kendra it can get minor modifications in the structure done by engaging the experts in the field. By shifting everything to Kala Kendra the people particularly youngsters can be given the opportunity to have access to the documents and articles of historic importance and it seems that Department wants to hide its failures in proper maintenance of record by not putting it in public domain.

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