Patna Museum has artefacts from of post-1764 period, Bihar Museum focuses from ancient India era to 1764

In a paper entitled "Provincial Pasts and National Histories: Territorial self-fashioning in twentieth-century Bihar" authored by Aryendra Chakravartty, an Associate Professor of History, Stephen F. Austin State University, University in Texas observes that institutions such as the Bihar and Orissa Research Society established in 1915 and the Patna Museum established in 1917 helped the new political-cultural configuration of the region. The former was set up on the lines of ‘Oriental’ institute—the Asiatic Society of Bengal which was established in 1794. The latter was established to house the "archaeological wealth" which were being discovered in Bihar. Sachchidananda Sinha had put forward the proposal for a museum in Patna at the meeting in January 1915 which was convened for the establishment of Bihar and Orissa Research Society. In 1916, the early collection of exhibits for the museum was first housed at the Commissioner’s Bungalow. Edward Gait established the Patna Museum in April 1917. The artefacts were moved to the North Wing of the Patna High Court, which remained a storehouse of artefacts. It was opened to the public in June 1921. The Patna Museum remained attached to the Patna High Court till 1929.

Given the fact that the North Wing of the Patna High Court was inadequate, an initiative to set up a new museum building was taken up in 1925. Bishun Swarup, the chief engineer of the Public Works Department, and Sohan Lal and Brij Narayan were assigned the task of designing an appropriate building. The final plans were approved in December 1926. It emerged as an Indo-Saracenic or Mogul-Rajput-style building. The museum building became fully functional only in 1929 after the current Patna Museum building was inaugurated. 

Chakravartty's paper published in Modern Asian Studies, Cambridge University Press reveals that accidental finding of the Didarganj Yakshi happened at the bank of Ganga by Maulavi Qazi Saiyid Muhammad Azimul on 18 October 1917. It began to be worshiped ‘under the mistaken notion that the figure was a Hindu deity’. It was due to the intervention of J. N. Samaddar, a member of the Society and professor at Patna College, that the statue was removed from the sanctified domain of religion to that of history and archaeology. It was Samaddar who brought the discovery of the statue to the attention of E. H. C. Walsh, vice-president of the Bihar and Orissa Research Society and president of the Patna Museum Committee. It was brought to the Patna Museum. A Didarganj Yakshi statue was the museum's most prized collection, which has been  shifted to Bihar Museum. The artefacts from ancient India era to 1764 are being kept in Bihar Museum and those of post-1764 period are kept at Patna Museum. 

PMC states that "Rahul sankrityayan donated 10000 manuscript which are written in Gold and silver on handmade papers and book on Buddhist philosophy that were once in the library of ancient Nalanda and Vikramshila university. These manuscript were taken to Tibet dating back of around 700 years ago before the destruction of these universities.These manuscripts were brought by him." 

According to Patna Municipal Corporation, "Patna Museum is the state museum of the Indian state of Bihar. Started on 3 April 1917 during the British Raj to house the historical artefacts found in the vicinity of Patna, it is in the style of Mughal and Rajput architecture and is known locally as the Jadu Ghar. Most of the early collections have now been transferred to Bihar Museum."

PMC states that "Items on display in the multipurpose museum include archaeological objects, coins, art objects, paintings, instruments, textiles, paintings, thankas, bronze images and sculptures and terra cotta images by Hindu and Buddhist artists.It has a rare collection of British-period paintings depicting day-to-day life, as well as a fine collection related to the first President of India, Rajendra Prasad. It also houses a World War I cannon. The fossil of a tree said to be more than 200 million years old is on display, as is a casket — unearthed in 1958 by archaeologist, A. S. Altekar, at the Relic Stupa of Vaishali — said to contain the sacred ashes (relics) of Gautama Buddha." It discloses that a project was started in November 2009 to build a replacement museum in Patna to enable the display of larger collections. The decision to construct this world class museum was approved on 26.11.2009 and that was followed by selection of consultant for preparation of a master plan by issuing
advertisement in April, 2010. The work of consultancy and preparation of master plan was awarded to M/s Lord Cultural Resources, Toronto, Canada) through a letter of award dated 31.05.2011. The amount of Rs.4,30,00,000/- quoted by the agency as the ‘total contract fee’ was accepted.M/s Lords Cultural
Resources (LCR) was appointed as consultant for preparing master plan and its allied components was awarded the contracts worth Rs.22,17,20,733/- and was paid a sum of Rs.14,85,28,816.

Now there is a proposal to join Patna Museum and Bihar Museum through an underground tunnel. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has released a tender for the construction of underground tunnel between the Bihar Museum and the Patna Museum. The tender was released on February 23, 2023, and bids will be accepted until April 5, 2023. The underground tunnel will be 1.47 kilometres long and will connect the two museums, allowing visitors to easily move between them. The tunnel will be built using the latest technology and will ensure a safe and comfortable journey for the visitors. DMRC has been GIVEN the responsibility of executing this project by Urban Development & Housing Department (UDHD), Government of Bihar. The project is expected to be completed within a period of three years. An MOU has already been signed between UDHD, Govt. of Bihar and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (DMRC) for the underground tunnel between both the museums. It has been claimed that the walls of the tunnel will exhibit art, culture and heritage of the state.

Prior to this, in a case related to Bihar Museum, a division bench of Chief Justice L. Narasimha Reddy and Justice Sudhir Singh of Patna High Court has observed that "we cannot remain oblivious to the gross illegality on the part of the State, not only taking up the project by wasting limited public resources, but also in awarding the contract in a manner which is far from transparent. We, therefore, dispose of the writ petition holding that the project of construction of world class museum in Patna at the cost of about Rs. Five hundred crores in a prime land of 17 ½ acres between the Secretariat and the Patna High Court is not at all in public interest and that the manner in which the contracts of consultancy etc. were awarded is far from transparent and objective. However, we are not intending to stall the project which is nearing
completion. We direct that in case the museum becomes unviable, the building and other infrastructure shall not be alienated to private firms, but shall be utilized for public institutions or purposes."

NGT levys compensation of Rs. 4,000 crores on Bihar Govt, amount to be operated by Bihar Chief Secretary only for waste management

The Original Application No. 606/2018 pertaining to the "Compliance of Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 and Other Environmental Issues" was registered on August 20, 2018 in the Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).  NGT passed a 64 page long order on May 4, 2023. In respect of State of Bihar, it concluded that "We hope in the light of interaction with the Chief Secretary, the State of Bihar will take further measures in the matter by innovative  approach and stringent monitoring, ensuring that legacy waste to the  extent or more than 11.74 lakh MT as well as unprocessed urban waste of 4072 TPD and gap in liquid waste generation and treatment which is 2193 MLD are bridged at the earliest, shortening the proposed timelines, adopting alternative/interim measures to the extent and  wherever found viable. Restoration plans need to be executed at the earliest simultaneously in all districts/cities/ towns/ villages in a time bound manner without further delay with well laid monitoring mechanism at State and District level. District Magistrates must take ownership for monitoring of sewage and solid waste management and regularly providing report to Chief Secretary on monthly basis and overall compliance be ensured by Chief Secretary for which regular meetings be conducted."

It observed that "considering the statement about gap in sewage generation and treatment and also gap in solid waste management, we  levy compensation of Rs. 4,000/- crores on the State on polluter pays principle for its failure in scientifically managing the liquid and solid waste in violation of mandate of law, particularly judgments of the Hon’ble Supreme Court and this Tribunal. The amount may be kept in a ring-fenced account within two months to be operated as per directions of the Chief Secretary only for waste management (liquid and solid) in the State in the light of above observations. The amount be utilized for setting up solid waste processing facilities, remediation of legacy waste and setting up of STPs and FSSTPs so there remains no gap. Better alternatives to utilize the wet waste for composting at appropriate locations be explored. The scale of expenditure for STPs may be reviewed in the light of realistic expenses involved in decentralized/traditional systems or otherwise." NGT Bench comprising of Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, Chairperson, NGT, Judicial Members Justices Sudhir Agarwal, and Arun Kumar Tyagi and Expert Members Dr. A. Senthil Vel, and Dr. Afroz Ahmad passed this order in the presence of officials from Bihar including Amir Subhani, Chief Secretary,  Arunish Chawla, Additional Chief Secretary, Urban Development & Housing Department and Dhramendra Singh,  Managing Director, Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited.

NGT heard the matter in compliance with Supreme Court's order  dated September 2, 2014 in Writ Petition No. 888/1996. The Supreme Court observed “handling of solid municipal waste is a perennial challenge and would require constant efforts and monitoring with a view to making the municipal authorities concerned accountable, taking note of dereliction, if any, issuing suitable directions consistent with the said Rules and direction incidental to the purpose underlying the Rules such as upgradation of technology wherever possible. All these matters can, in our opinion, be best left to be handled by the National Green Tribunal established under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010. The Tribunal, it is common ground, is not only equipped with the necessary expertise to examine and deal with the environment related issues but is also competent to issue in appropriate cases directions considered necessary for enforcing the statutory provisions.” The matter was monitored by the Court for about eighteen years wherein it passed order in 2000 and 2004 directing scientific disposal of waste by setting up of compost plants/processing plants, preventing water percolation through heaps of garbage, creating focused ‘solid waste management cells’ in all States and complying with the Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules. Even after 26 years of monitoring, 18 years by the Court and eight years by the NGT, "ground situation remains unsatisfactory".

NGT's directions are as under:
i. The Chief Secretary, Bihar may take further remedial measures to ensure compliance of SWM Rules considering the statutory timelines to be sacrosanct as already directed by this Tribunal vide judgment dated 22.12.201620 (para 10). Similarly, the timelines for ensuring setting up of necessary sewage
management systems have to be accepted as rigid timelines in view of judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court dated 22.02.201721 (para 6)
ii. Ring-fenced amount of Rs. 4,000/- crores for solid and sewage management be set apart within two months and such funds be kept as “non-lapsable”. (para 26 & 67)
iii. Legacy waste at 115 ULBs as well as at other ongoing sites be remediated without further delay and quantify remediated legacy waste indicating that no legacy waste is remaining and reported in the next compliance report. (Para 30)
iv. CPCB in consultation with some of the States PCBs and Municipal Corporations may work out environmentally safe methods/options for their use as directed in respect of State of UP (para 32).
v. Plastic waste and construction and demolition waste processing plants be set up ensuring that bio-medical, hazardous and Ewaste are not co-mingled and treated with solid waste (para 33).
vi. Immediate efforts be made for ensuring connectivity with existing STPs and proposed STPs (para 34).
vii. The issues relating to compliance of STPs with standards and utilization of treated sewage be monitored and looked into by centralised mechanism at State level. Instead of high costed STPs in small population towns/villages, oxidation ponds and other low cost options be preferred including modular STPs. Similarly, in-situ remediation projects be duly executed (para 47).
viii. Chief Secretary may immediately set up orientation programme on regular basis at appropriate institutional level to deal with environmental issues at district level. The execution plans should not be held up in repeated tendering systems. (para 55).

The next date of hearing is May 11, 2023.

Caste-based survey raises question of the right to privacy and legislative competence: Patna High Court

Responding to the unanimous resolution to carry out the caste-based survey by both the Houses of the Legislature of Bihar and its approval by the State Cabinet, a PIL was filed on April 5, 2023. It got registered on April 15, 2023. This PIL filed by Youth For Equality was converged with other PILs filed by Akhilesh Kumar, Ek Soch Ek Prayas, Reshma Prasad and Muskan Kumari. These cases were filed the backdrop of the decision of the State Government having decided to conduct a caste-based survey through the General Administration Department, expenditure of which was intended to be taken from the Bihar Contingency Fund, with a target to complete the exercise by February 2023 and a communication issued by the Principal Secretary to the District Officers, also indicates the subject to be of ‘Bihar Caste-based enumeration for determination of caste list for 2022.’ The proforma in which the survey is to be conducted enumerates seventeen heads or details to be collected; one of which is ‘caste’.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice K. Vinod Chandran,and Justice Madhuresh Prasad passed an interim order on May 4, 2023 saying, "we direct the State Government to immediately stop the caste-based survey and ensure that the data already collected are secured and not shared with anybody till final orders are passed in the writ petition." In the penultimate paragraph of the order, it says, "We also see from the notification issued that the Government intends to share data with the leaders of different parties of the State Assembly, the ruling party and opposition party which is also a matter of great concern. There definitely arises the larger question of right to privacy, which the Hon’ble Supreme Court has held to be a facet of right to life."

The order states that "Prima facie, we are of the opinion that the State has no power to carry out a caste-based survey, in the manner in which it is fashioned now, which would amount to a census, thus impinging upon the legislative power of the Union Parliament."

The order observes, "we find that the caste-based survey is a census in the garb of a survey; the power to carry out which is exclusively on the Union Parliament which has also enacted a Census Act, 1948. True, there is a compulsion by way of an obligation on the citizen under the Census Act and un-hindered entry conferred on the authorized officers; but also a protection from the records of census not being open to inspection nor admissible in evidence; under Section 15. Though it has been vehemently urged that both Houses of the State Legislature has sanctioned the survey, there is nothing placed on record regarding the deliberations made or the objects sought to be achieved by embarking upon such a massive exercise, that too for the collection of details which include the sensitive issue of caste. There are broad reasons stated in the counter affidavit, but nothing comes out from the notification, nor is any specific reasoning or object stated to have motivated the initiation of the exercise of a caste-based survey, which reasoning or motivation should also be relatable to a time, contemporaneous with the time of bringing out the notification. It is also submitted before us that 80% of the work is over and what remains is mere collation of the details collected and the further action based on such data collected and made available to the State."

In its May 4, 2023 order, the Court had posted the the writ petitions for hearing on July 3, 2023. On May 5, the Advocate General mentioned the matter before the Chief Justice and sought an early hearing. The current listing position shows that it is listed for orders before the Chief Justice on May 9, 2023.

Finance Act, 2023 enacted and notified without discussion in Parliament

The Finance Act, 2023, an Act to give effect to the financial proposals of the Central Government for the financial year 2023-2024 has been enacted and notified subsequent to the assent of the President on  March 31, 2023. This 105 page long law has eight parts, 174 sections and five schedules. Its sections 2 to 127 has come into force from April 1, 2023 and its sections 128 to 163 shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint. 

This law amends/inserts provisions under sections 2, 9, 10, 10AA, 11, 12A, 12AB, 17, 28, 35D, 43B, 43D, 44AB, 44AD, 44ADA, 44BB, 44BBB, 45, 47, 48, 49, 50AA, 54, 54EA, 54EB, 54EC, 54ED, 54EF, 55, 56, 72A, 72AA, 79, 80C, 80CCC, 80CCD, 80CCG, 80CCH, 80G, 80-IAC, 80LA, 87, 87A, 88, 92BA, 92D, 94B, 111A, 112, 115A, 115BAC, 115BAD, 115BB, 115BBI, 115JC, 115JD, 115TD, 115UA, 115UB, 115VP, 116, 119, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135A, 140B, 142, 148, 149, 151, 153, 154, 155, 158A, 158AB, 170A, 177, 189, 192A, 193, 194B, 194BA, 194BB, 194LC, 194N, 194R, 196A, 197, 206AB, 206C, 206CC, 206CCA, 241A, 244A, 245, 245D, 245MA, 245R, 246, 249, 250, 251, 253, 264, 267, 269SS, 269T, 270A, 270AA, 271, 271A, 271AAC, 271AAD, 271C, 271FAA, 271J, 274, 275, 276A, 276B, 279, 287 and 295 of the Income-tax Act, 1961.   

This law amends/inserts provisions under sections 25, 65, 65A, 127C, 157 and 159 of the Customs Act, 1962. 

The Finance Act, 2023 amends/inserts provisions under sections 9, 9A and 9C and Fist Schedule and Second Schedule of the Customs Tariff Act, 1975. 

This law amends/inserts provisions under sections 10, 16, 17, 23, 30, 37, 39, 44, 52, 54, 56, 62, 109, 110, 114, 117, 118, 119, 122, 132, 138 and 158 and Schedule III Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017. 

This law amends/inserts provisions under sections 2, 12 and 13 of the Integrated Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017. 

The Finance Act, 2023 amends/inserts provisions under the Schedule to the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Act, 2017. 

This law amends/inserts sections 4A and 15 and Schedule in Part A of the Government Savings Promotion Act, 1873. In the Schedule, in Part A, for serial numbers 7 and 8 and the entries relating thereto, the following shall be substituted, namely:— "7. Public Provident Fund Scheme, 8. National Savings Certificates (VIII Issue) Scheme, 2019, 9. Kisan Vikas Patra Scheme, 2019 and 10. PM CARES for Children Scheme, 2021".

In the Indian Stamp Act, 1899, in Schedule I, in article 47, in division D, under the heading "Exemption", for the portion beginning with "Policies of life-insurance" and ending with "authority of the Central Government.", the following shall be substituted, namely:— "Policies of life insurance— (a) granted by the Director-General of Post Offices in accordance with the rules for Postal Life-Insurance issued under the authority of the Central Government; and (b) under the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY)."

In the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956, in section 18A, after clause (b), the following clause shall be inserted, namely:— '(ba) regulated by the International Financial Services Centres Authority established under section 4 of the International Financial Services Centres Authority Act, 2019, in an International Financial Services Centre and issued by a Foreign Portfolio Investor. Explanation.—For the purposes of this clause, the expression "Foreign Portfolio Investor" shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause (u) of rule 2 of the Foreign Exchange Management (Non-debt Instruments) Rules, 2019 made under section 46 of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999;'.

In the Central Sales Tax Act,1956, for section 19, the following section shall be substituted, namely:— "19. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Act or in any other law for the time being in force, the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal constituted under section 129 of the Customs Act, 1962 shall be the Authority under this Act to settle inter-State disputes falling under sections 6A and 9." Section 24 of Central Sales Tax Act has been omitted and its Section 25 has been amended. 

Besides these the Finance Act, 2023 amends/inserts provisions in sections 2 and 46 the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act, 1988. In the Finance Act, 2001, the Seventh Schedule shall be amended in the manner specified in the Sixth Schedule of the 2023 law. It amends section 98 of the Finance Act, 2004. It also amends sections 8 and 13 of the the Unit Trust of India (Transfer of Undertaking and Repeal) Act, 2002.

The Lok Sabha had passed the Finance Bill 2023 without discussion with over 60 amendments to the Bill, which was initially introduced in the Lok Sabha on February 1, 2023. These amendments include changes related to IFSC, capital gains, TDS/TCS, Securities Transaction Tax (STT) and GST Appellate Tribunal.

 

 

Rs 99,178 crore may not have reached beneficiaries in Bihar: CAG

Bihar State Finances Audit Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India for the year ending 31st March 2022 (Report No.1 of the year 2023) reveals that 23, 188 Utilisation Certificates (UCs) valued at the expenditure of Rs 99,178 crore from 2021 to 2022 by the several departments remained outstanding till March 31 last year. 

The UCs of expenditure of Rs 99,178 crore of grants-in-aid made by the state government has not been submitted. In its report, CAG has observed that "in case of non-submission of the UCs, there is a risk that the amount mentioned in finance accounts may not have reached the beneficiaries."

The CAG report was tabled in the state assembly on March 31, 2023. The report was tabled by Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Bihar Finance Minister. 

According to the CAG report, “During the year 2021-223, 23,188 UCs of various projects and schemes (amounting Rs 99,178 crore), which had become due (drawn up to August 31, 2020) for submission, were not submitted by the bodies and authorities of the state against the grants-in-aid”.

The report further said, “Therefore, there was no assurance that the amount of Rs 99,178 crore had actually been utilized, for the purpose for which it was sanctioned/authorized by the Legislature. High pendency of UCs is fraught with risk of misappropriation of funds and fraud. The major defaulting departments were Panchayati Raj (Rs 34,707.48 crore), Education (Rs 25,867.47 crore) and Urban Development department (Rs 11,092.7 crore).” 

Responding to the CAGs report, Bihar Finance minister has asked all heads of departments to submit UCs within the stipulated time. Rule 271 of the Bihar Treasury Code (211) states that UCs in respect of grants-in-aid received by the grantee must be furnished by the grantee to the authority that sanctioned it, within 18 months from the date of receipt of grant or before applying for a further grant on the same subject.

Samyukt Kisan Morcha to decide next course of action on April 30

A general body meeting of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) will be held on April 30, 2023, to plan the next course of action in the aftermath of the Kisan Mahapanchayat and the meeting of a 15-member delegation of SKM with the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare at Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi on March 20. The delegation submitted a memorandum to him. 

(Photo: Memorandum submitted by the delegation of  Samyukt Kisan Morcha to Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar)
The Kisan Mahapanchayat placed its 10-point demands before the union government to comply with the written assurances given to the SKM on December 9, 2021 by the government to address the grievance of the farmers. These demands are:

    According to the recommendation of the Swaminathan Commission, a law should be enacted and implemented to guarantee procurement at (Minimum Support Price) MSP in accordance the formula of C2 + 50 percent on all crops.
    SKM has clarified on many occasions that the committee constituted by the Union government on MSP and its declared agenda is opposed to the demands of the farmers. SKM demanded scrap ping of this committee and set up a new committee on MSP for legal guarantees for all crops, with proper representation of farmers, including representatives of SKM, as promised by the Union government.
    More than 80% of the farmers are trapped in debt and forced to commit suicide due to rising input costs in agriculture and not getting remunerative prices for the crop. In such a situation, the SKM demands debt waiver for all farmers and reduction in input costs, including fertilizers.
    The Electricity Amendment Bill, 2022 be sent to the Joint Parliamentary Committee for consideration should be withdrawn. The central government had given a written assurance to the SKM that the Bill would be introduced in Parliament only after consultation with SKM. But despite this, the government presented it in the Parliament without any discussion. SKM reiterates the demand for free electricity for agriculture and 300 units of electricity for rural households.
    Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni, the main conspirator in the murder of four farmers and a journalist at Tikonia in Lakhimpur Kheri district, should be expelled from the cabinet and arrested and sent to jail.
    The government should fulfill the promise of providing compensation and rehabilitation to the families of the farmers who were martyred and injured during the farmer's movement and in Lakhimpur Kheri.
    SKM demanded abolition of the questionable Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. Union government should adopt ll measures to compensate the farmers for the continuous losses due to floods, drought, hailstorm, untimely and/or excessive rains, crop related diseases, wild animals, stray cattle etc. Implement universal, comprehensive and effective crop insurance and compensation package for crops. Damage assessment should be done on the basis of individual plots.
    The Kisan Pension Scheme of ₹5,000 per month for all farmers and farm-labourers should be implemented immediately.
    The fabricated cases registered against the farmers in the states and other states and union territories during the farmer's movement should be withdrawn immediately.
    Land should be allocated for the construction of a memorial for the martyred farmers at Singhu Morcha.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daughter of Rahul Sankrityayan protests transfer of artifacts and manuscripts from Patna Museum to Bihar Museum

Note: According to the audit report of CAG, “The Bihar Heritage Development Society established to acquire/collect, conserve and preserve the archaeological remains and artifacts could not achieve its objectives. The conservation and documentation of antiquities, digitisation and publication of collected manuscript/books in the museums were not according to the standards prescribed in the International Council of Museums (ICOM) code of ethics. Tibbati manuscript brought by Rahul Sanskrityayan in Patna Museum could not be translated/published. The Directorate of Museum did not have database or inventory of antiquities in its possessions.” 

The audit report observes: "Scrutiny of records of Patna Museum, Patna revealed that six thousand Tibbati Manuscripts were handed over to Patna Museum in the year 1929 by Rahul Sankrityayan....it was found that 20 of them were torn and no steps of conservation were taken despite availability of funds (10 lakh) since March 2008. The funds were kept in fixed deposits of bank." It further observes that "As per  'Practical Handbook on 'Inventories and Documentation of ICOM, Running a Museum" the museum should maintain an Accession Register, with a checklist of all the acquisitions. It should have columns for accession number, date, source, method and brief description of the group, number of objects making up the group and the name or initials of the Museum Curator." CAG's performance audit states that "During audit of test checked museums, it was found that the Accession Register was not maintained in museums except Patna Museum, Patna where the Register was not properly maintained. Five out of 41 Accession Registers were test checked in Patna Museum and it was found that 9570 antiquities were entered in the Registers. Out of these, 2031 antiquities had no date of accession, 773 antiquities had no date of provenance, 1213 antiquities had no date of donation, 2496 antiquities had no date of receipt and 7597 antiquities had no information about the placement.        

 -------------------------------------------------------0----------------------------------------------------------------------

To

 

Shri Nitish Kumarji,

Chief Minister of Bihar

 Patna.

 

SUBJECT : PROTEST AGAINST THE PLANS TOREORGANISE THE MANAGEMENT OF THE MAHAPANDIT RAHUL SANKRITYAYANA COLLECTION HOUSED IN PATNA MUSEUM AND ITS HANDOVER TO BIHAR MUSEUM

 

Honourable Sir, 

 

I have recently come to know that your government plans to change the authority to manage the above institute, giving the responsibility to Bihar Museum. I, as the daughter of Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayana strongly protest this proposal. 

 

I had written to you on 12th September 2017 when a similar proposal was made,and protested on the grounds that the Rahul Collection is a provisional donation to the Patna Museum, made without any remuneration and as the family and heirs of Rahulji we should be consulted and notified before any such change is made as regards my Father’s invaluable donation and the Bihar Government’s ideas regarding it. At that time you had agreed to allow the Rahul Collection to remain in Patna Museum and for this I thank you.

 

Today I find that a similar proposal is being made again.

 

You must be well aware that Rahul Sankrityayana is an internationally known name.A freedom fighter, a linguist, a Buddhist and Sanskrit scholar, social thinker and author whose reputation has not faded, rather it has increased even after his passing. Scholars from many universities not just in India but also Europe, Japan and America have devoted years to studying his contributions in the fields of Buddhist studies, history, archaeology, literature, socio-politics, travel writing, indeed all the disciplines he touched and wrote about. His life’s trajectory took him to Bihar in the 1920s and he lived and worked there through the years of the Freedom Struggle, working tirelessly among peasants and the depressed classes. He endured six years in jail terms in Bihar prisons of Buxar, Chhapra and Hazaribagh. Yet his erudition placed him among the most respected scholars of his time. The title of “MAHAPANDIT” is not merely an honorific: it was bestowed on him by the Kashi Pandit Sabha Varanasi in 1933 in recognition of his contribution to the progress of Sanskrit studies subsequent to his discovery of the rare ancient texts that were lost in India after the destruction of the monasteries of Nalanda, Vikramshila, and Odantapuri. The title was given after his first journey to Tibet in 1929-1930.  These texts were invaluable at that time. The Thangka paintings he brought back are also priceless. These were housed in Patna Museum. He made three more journeys to Tibet and came back with many more originals and photo plates of important texts and paintings. Coins, garments and other significant objects he collected on his travels in India and abroad were also added to the Rahul Collection to which he made further additions up to 1956. The idea was for all these objects to be easily accessible for study by students and scholars in context and close to the places where they had originated. Over 6400 texts and photos he brought are housed in the Bihar Research Society. 

I strongly oppose this proposal by the Bihar Government. The integrity and the physical safety of the Rahul Collection is threatened by being split up and removed for transport or display by private entities. This proposal is an insult to the memory of my Father and his vision for our country and its intellectual heritage. 

 

If the Bihar Government is not able to look after the Rahul Collection any longer, the family should be consulted about forming a committee of serious scholars from all over India to decide its future. It should definitely not be handed over, out of government control, on the whim of the State Government. Despite his significant contribution to Bihar, Rahulji has not been given the honour which was due to him. It will be a way of righting this neglect by creating a dedicated centre for higher studies in his name, housed in the historic premises of the Patna Museum to which he devoted so much effort. 

 

I trust that you will give this matter serious consideration and inform me of the outcome. 

 

Thanking you, 

 

Jaya Sankrityayan Parhawk