The recently inaugurated exhibition — Rediscovering India: 1961-2011 — in Delhi was a fitting finale to the year-long celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). This exhibition displayed the achievements of ASI in the past five decades. The list is long and impressive: discoveries of existence of Harappan culture in places such as Kalibangan in Rajasthan and Dholavira in Gujarat; excavations at Buddhist sites in Kanaganhali in Karnataka and Boxanagar in Tripura; salvage operations at Nagarjunakonda, Andhra Pradesh, and conservation efforts in Hampi, Karnataka, are some of its remarkable projects. The ASI protects 3,677 monuments and has copied more than 74,000 inscriptions. It has shaped the discipline of archaeology, history and heritage conservation in the country through these significant contributions. Despite all this, the fact remains that the ASI has not institutionally innovated to meet emerging challenges. State apathy and poor financial support have added to its woes. The question is how to continue the good work and secure the past better for the future.
Art and culture received only a meagre 0.16 per cent of the total Central Plan of the government in the Eleventh Five-Year plan allocation. As a result, the Ministry of Culture, which the ASI is a part of, received only a fraction of what it needed. This poor funding pattern is unlikely to improve. For the year 2012-13, the government has sanctioned only one-third of the requested Rs. 2,916 crore. Of the scant funds that the ASI receives in turn, less than one per cent is spent on excavations (2011-12). This would neither help expand the investigation of the unexplored historical landscape nor lead to greater investment in archaeological science. The casual approach to publication of reports also reflects the declining importance of excavation. Despite the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture reminding the ASI to speed up the publication of 56 pending excavation reports five years ago, progress has been tardy. In 2007, the Working Group on Art and Culture for the Eleventh Five-Year plan recommended that more historical structures should be protected and the ASI should notify every year about 70 unprotected structures as monuments for better care. But not much has happened on this front too. The government should enhance funding and confer the status of a scientific institution on the ASI to meet its special needs. For its part, the ASI should decentralise and make its five regional directorates autonomous. They in turn, with active participation of local governments, should unravel more of the hidden past and protect them better.
British did a yeoman service to Indian history, and cultural heritage by diligent and extensive excavations, preservation of rare manuscripts & idols, methodical and scientific research, interest in indology - concepts completely alien to Indians in the colonial and pre-colonial era and unfortunately true even today. In the process, there may have been distortions introduced by their own prejudices and interests, but it is without doubt that they set up institutions like ASI and left behind a scientific tradition and discipline in this area, which unfortunately we have allowed to rot. We could use the same institutions and scientific discipline to correct some of the wrongs.
I happened to see the Indian section of British Museum, and ironically was very happy that they carried away all these great treasures from India, as we Indians hardly understand their value. See how the treasure trove of Ajanta & Ellora caves are allowed to slowly fade.
British have manipulated Indian history right from the time of Alexanders invasion of India to justify British colonisation of India. It is high time that ASI and Indian historians reconstruct Indian history removing the bias of British perspective and connect Indian history with the developments of the world simultaneously.
It is very encouraging that the Hindu has published an editorial on a discipline like Archeology and the Archeological Survey of India. Archeology is still not a well recognized discipline in India. Fund crunch for undertaking explorations and excavations has been a story forever beginning from the days of John Marshal till date. There are no funding agencies in the country supporting archaeological work specifically. Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) is the only agency which partially supports but funds given are limited. It never goes beyond 1 lakh. Most of the time it is much below that. That also is disbursed in installments which hampers in the completion of the work as things get entangled in paper work even after reports are submitted by the archeologists to the organisation. For archaeology to develop in India we need agencies to support research projects. ASI should amend its laws and support research projects and the fund outlay of ASI should be increased to make t
A suggestion to the concerned authorities: Perhaps the interest of the
state officials in charge of the ASI in different states ought to be
gouged before their appointment to the said posts as well.
In a visit two years ago to the ASI office in Guwahati, I found that
while the lower staff were very helpful in terms of helping out anyone
who sought information, the director of that centre seemed very
reluctant and disbelieving, not to mention unhelpful, when I sought
his permission to view some old records.
Perhaps the change in governmental apathy needs to begin with
appointments.
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