Art that is rooted in history
RANA SIDDIQUI
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New Delhi’s National Crafts Museum that has some rarest of rare artefacts, faces an uncertain future.
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PHOTO: K.K. MUSTAFAH
PRESERVING ART An artist sculpting an Urli at the Crafts Museum in New Delhi.
New Delhi’s National Crafts Museum, spread across six acres, is said to be the richest and oldest museum in India. It houses rarest of rare artefacts. Take for instance, Karnataka’s Bhoota Collection which is 250-300-year-old. It also contains items like rare Kashmiri 300-year-old ‘dushalas’ the workmanship of which cannot be replicated, and hankies from Chamba which is known for its unique embroidery, rare brocade and Baluchari saris, Kutch embroid
ery, precious metal jewellery and much more.
But the artefacts numbering up to Rs.33,000 billions are under threat. The museum received an order around mid-April from the Ministry of Textile to convert it into a society within three weeks. A society to be headed by one Ruchira Ghosh, an economist who was a member of the advisory committee to the Crafts Museum.
Downgrading
If the museum which has a ‘national’ status is turned into a society, it will lose its ‘national’ status. It amounts to downgrading the museum. It would also lose the interest of foreign groups which often want to go through a Government body to avoid any fake work. For now, it gets hundred per cent funding from the Government. Moreover, this museum gets 200 to 300 visitors apart from 150 to 250 students everyday who come here for educational training/programmes. Giving the museum away to a society would incur a threat to the rare artefacts. Their replicas can be produced for sale.
The museum also helps poor craftpersons across the country by giving them a place to craft their artefacts with an assured accommodation for a month and Rs.50 as travel and daily allowance. These persons sell their works directly, make money without any middlemen. Every month 50 such artists are invited from across India for a month. Turning it into a society would facilitate ‘trading’ rather than genuinely helping the deserving.
Agress Jaya Jaitley, “There are three things that motivate questioning about such an order. Only three weeks’ time was given to wind up the things. Why such a hurry? The order said the body (museum) should be autonomous, and the third, no one associated with the museum for ages was consulted before taking this decision. The museum is a public property. The museum has priceless valuables. Who would monitor if they aren’t sold off to some vested interests?”
Refutes D.S. Gangwar, Additional Development Commissioner, Handlooms, Ministry of Textile, “Turning the museum into a society is not downgrading it. The museum in its present status cannot invite international experts because of its recruitment rules. But if it runs autonomously, the museum can honour the best foreign hands and bring international standards. World’s best museums run privately. Moreover, the jobs of its employees are safe. It is not correct to pre-judge the order before it gets implemented. So far no decision has been taken.” So good times might just continue for lovers of serious arts in the Capital.
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