Sunny Dua
Ever since Toshakhana-stated to be erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State’s Kings’ store where gifts and emblems of honor that they had received for their posterity stand preserved, has been wound up by an order of Administrative Council of Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory (UT) led by Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha nothing much has moved forward and owing to this lackadaisical approach there are very bleak chances of “Dogra Treasure”, that’s rotting in a not-so-safe and crumbling heritage structure of Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex, seeing the light of the day in near future as well.
The Administrative Council of Jammu and Kashmir way back in August 2022 had taken a decision to wind-up/close Jammu and Kashmir Toshakhana Organization and ordered transfer of movable and immovable assets along with sanctioned posts and incumbent staff to the department of Culture, Jammu and Kashmir. It was decided that assets of Toshakhana at Srinagar/Jammu will be transferred from Hospitality and Protocol Department (H&PD) to the Director, Archives, Archaeology and Museums (AA&M) for which a committee of officers was also constituted.
Almost after a lapse of 15 months, this decision of the Administrative Council is gaining dust with no one actually initiating any action or convening a meeting of the committee members to work out on modalities of handing over and taking over the Dogra Treasure from one department to another. The Administrative Council of UT of Jammu and Kashmir was constituted way back in 2019 with Lt Governor G C Murmu as its Chairman to discharge the functions of the Government which is now being headed by LG Manoj Sinha.
Despite being the highest decision taking body of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the Administrative Council Decision No 115/9/2-22 is not seeing the light of the day and is gaining dust. The only action on this order that has been initiated is that just six number of staff of H&PD have been transferred to Department of Archives, Archaeology and Museums and that too after exchanges of multiple communications as to which department will release the salaries of staff and maintain their services records. These are just six number of employees of low rank and are known by their designation as Refugar and Khalasis.
While the fate of precious ‘Treasure House’ – an archive of valuable objects whose origin and receipt embodies the status and honor of Maharaja of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir is sealed behind the doors of an old structure located within the premises of Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex, just six employees have been transferred to the department of Archives, Archaeology and Museums whose lien from the parent department stands snapped and they have started drawing their salaries from department of Archives, Archaeologies and Museums as well.
Since the locks of this treasure have not been opened since ages, what’s lying inside is not exactly known to the incumbent officials who are showing their reluctance in acting upon the decision of the Administrative Council. However, in a case that was filed in the Supreme Court of India titled Dr. Karan Singh Vs State of Jammu & Kashmir and Anr, reference of some of the articles of this treasure had surfaced and that is on record as well.
In the judgement delivered on April 2004 reference of some 563 articles lying in ‘Toshakhana’ (Treasury of the State of Jammu & Kashmir) had come up for discussion in the court. From these records it could be assessed that articles in question comprising of some 42 items of jewellery and gold articles which were lying with Toshakhana at Jammu were transferred to Toshakhana at Srinagar on September 17, 1951. The treasure also included some heirlooms, wearing apparel, gold and silver utensils and cutlery, furniture, fixtures and carpets.
Other than this some more articles are lying in Toshakhana, Jammu which are believed to be some armory having archival values. According to reports filed by some credible Jammu journalists, after the fire incident of December 2006 in the Tosha Khana located inside the historic Mubarak Mandi complex, some more valuables made up of gold and silver were shifted to a strong room in the Civil Secretariat, Jammu. This was done after the fire incidence and ever since then a criminal silence is being maintained over the shifting or other valuables or their handing over to another department.
Now that entire assets, movable as well as immovable stand transferred from Department of Hospitality and Protocol to Department of Archives, Archaeology and Museums, its only after the handing over and taking over formalities are completed that the people will come to know what’s lying in Jammu, Srinagar or inside Mubarak Mandi complex and how the same will be displayed and at what place. Unless the decision of the Administrative Council is adhered to in letter and spirit, nothing can be said about the Dogra Treasure that’s lying behind the doors of strong rooms or in the Toshakhana at Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex.
So far as Toshakhana at Jammu is concerned,its located amid debris of Mubarak Mandi heritage Complex and is almost inaccessible. The building being old and worn can also crumble anytime as almost all other buildings within the vicinity of this particular area have suffered sufficient and irreparable damages. Being an old structure and located in the hilly slopes, safety of this particular site can never be guaranteed by anyone. Still strange is that massive restoration work around this site and piled up debris has camouflaged this treasure store and is posing a great risk to its safety.
It is believed that Government wanted to open the treasure and display it in museum for public viewing. Ever since the Toshakhana Organisation was wound up and assets and staff ordered to be transferred to Culture Department vide Administrative Council of Jammu and Kashmir union Territory administration order no: 11-JK(HP) of 2022 dated August 30, 2022 nothing concrete has been done. Outgoing Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta too had reviewed Toshakhana organization in civil secretariat way back in July 2023 directing handing over and taking over of the assets but nothing transpired till date.
Secretary to Government, Hospitality and Protocol Department, Secretary to Government Culture Department and Directors of hospitality and protocol besides archives, archaeology and museums too had attended this meeting wherein agenda of details of staff and budget transferred by H&P Department to the Culture Department, details of assets available of the Toshakhana at Srinagar/Jammu with each location to be handed over to the Director AA&M, proposed committee of officers under whose supervision/monitoring the assets of Toshakhana shall be handed over to the Culture Department and finally proposed action plan of the Culture Department to put the antique articles of the Dogra rulers for public display in museums at Jammu and at Srinagar were discussed at length.
The General Administration Department (GAD) too had given sanction to constitute a committee for supervising and facilitating handover and takeover of assets related to Toshakhana between the Director Hospitality and Protocol (Toshakhana) officer Tariq Hussain Ganai and Director Archives, Archaeology and Museums Pradeep Kumar. For assets of Mubarak Mandi, Jammu and Civil Secretariat Jammu, the committee comprised of Deputy Commissioner, Jammu as convenor, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jammu, member, Director H&PD (Toshakhana Officer) member, Director AAM J&K, member and Treasury officer, Saddar Treasury member.
For assets at Sadar treasury and central store H&P Srinagar the committee comprised of Deputy Commissioner Srinagar as convenor, SSP, Srinagar as member and Director H&P (Toshakhana officer) as member, Director Archives, Archaeology and Museums as member and treasury officer Saddar treasury Srinagar as member. The order was issued by Sanjeev Verma Commissioner/Secretary to Government dated August 21, 2023. The articles lying in ‘Toshakhana’ belong to Maharaja Hari Singh, ex-ruler of Jammu and Kashmir.
It was Maharaja Hari Singh who had signed an Instrument of Accession of Jammu and Kashmir on October 26, 1947. Maharaja Hari Singh died on April 26, 1961 but during his lifetime, the erstwhile Maharaja, it’s said, did not claim the articles of Toshakhana as his private property. However, Maharaja’s son Dr Karan Singh, former MP and Sadr-e-Riyasat way back in 1983 had reportedly written a letter to the Union Home Ministry staking claim over articles lying in the Toshakhana, Srinagar.
However, pending a case in the court, the Union Government way back in 1984 said that Maharaja Hari Singh in his letter dated June 1, 1949 addressed to late Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, the then Union Home Minister, had sent a list of his private properties wherein there was no mention of jewellery or regalia as claimed by Dr Karan Singh. Though the fate of that court case is yet to be ascertained but some research works reveal that the Union Government in its communication written in June 1949 to Maharaja Hari Singh had said that the erstwhile King had acknowledged that the treasure lying in the Toshakhana had been given to the State of Jammu and Kashmir.
When contacted Director Archives, Archaeology and Museums Pradeep Kumar said that theres a need of expanding the scope of committee where in some approved valuers of jewellery or gemologists and even experts from Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) or Antiques Department or may be National Museum could join in to determine the true nature and character of the treasure before/while handing over and taking over. Director Hospitality and Protocol Tariq Hussain Ganai expressed his inability to comment on the issue owning to his preoccupation in meetings at Civil Secretariat.
It’s worthwhile to mention that Atal Dullu, the incumbent Chief Secretary has remained Commissioner/Secretary Tourism and Culture Department from 2010 to 2013. Since, he is an experienced bureaucrat and know the sensitivity of the department of Toshakhana and a decision taken by the Administrative Council chaired by LG Manoj Sinha, it’s very likely that the matter may get expedited under his guidance and people of Jammu and Kashmir could finally get to the see the treasure lying unattended in Toshakhana, now winded up, and Civil Secretariat strong rooms.
(The writer is Senior Journalist)
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