I t is surprising that Department of Archives, Archaeology and Museum should do nothing in a long pending requirement of shifting Archival Record and Dogra Art Museum to Kala Kendra at Bikram Chowk, Jammu. Since the building, housing these treasures in the Mubarak Mandi Complex is unsafe and in dilapidated condition requiring intense restoration and repairing work, the need to shift them to the first floor of the Kala Kendra complex is of utmost importance. The issue assumes more importance in view of the explicit orders from the High Court in respect of such shifting but due to apparent adamant attitude of those managing the Department of Archives, Archaeology and Museum, the same till date, could not be possible. It is astonishing, particularly looking to such orders having been passed by the High Court four years ago , that no steps towards compliance thereof have been taken though such shifting would have not been a permanent feature but purely a temporary arrangement till some lasting solution to house the two would have been found. Shifting the record and the museum also becomes non – optional looking to the minimum period of expected four to five years of the intricate and sensitive work of restoration of the historic complex during which public in appreciable number desirous of visiting the two would stand totally deprived of the access due to the ongoing work in the complex housing the two important historic possessions. Not only this, there is apparent inordinate delay in the process of the concerned shifting which, apart from posing threat to the two, the Record and the Museum, was causing impediments in starting the conservation work of vital portion of the historic Mubarak Mandi Complex . More than one precious year stands wasted as work was allotted in the month of October last year. Accordingly, due importance to safe shifting and in the process avoiding any damage or loss to the archival record and the museum, the High Court had directed that expert advice should be sought and utilised during the process of fragile work of shifting so that the same could be safely preserved. A time frame of four months to complete the entire process was granted by the court. Instead of four months, it is now more than four years , the issue continues to hang up and the difficulties of those wishing to visit the two historic treasures due to ongoing conservation work can be gauged besides the dwindling numbers of such visitors on that count. Due to the spreading out of construction material in the complex , dust and related activities were bound to cause damage to and deteriorate the quality of the records which should be a cause of serious concern. At least, there must be certain specific causes in causing even the directives of the High Court to be disregarded by the authorities of the Department of Archives, Archaeology and Museum which must certainly be ascertained . If it is proved that there were unavoidable causes and reasons for so long as four years not being sufficient to address them and whether the court was informed about that and if neither of the two are proved as perceived, then it is a pure and sure case of fixing of accountability which must be done at the earliest. If it is really a fact that wilfully the order of the High Court is sought to be not complied with and instead pressure exerted on the Mubarak Mandi Heritage Society by the Department of Archives to violate the Master Plan approved by the then Governor Satya Pal Malik so as to avoid the shifting , then the issue assumes more serious connotations. It is, therefore, hoped that the issue gets resolved at the earliest to ensure smooth restoration work of the Historic Complex and to save the Archives and the museum from getting damaged or deteriorated.
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