UT heritage items no antiquity or art treasure under law: ASI

Tribune News Service

Dushyant Singh Pundir

Chandigarh, May 4

Despite UT heritage furniture being in high demand abroad, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has clarified that objects that are being auctioned do not fall under the purview of the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972.

Furniture fetching lakhs abroad

• Every month, UT heritage items are being sold in auctions abroad for lakhs of rupees.
• Le Corbusier and his cousin Pierre Jeanneret had designed a variety of furniture during their stay in the City Beautiful. Chairs, tables, stools and other furniture items are either being used in Panjab University, PEC, UT buildings, Vidhan Sabhas, Punjab and Haryana High Court and other places or kept in stores.
• Now, many foreign auction houses conduct auctions in which Chandigarh’s heritage furniture goes under the hammer.
• Because the names of Jeanneret and Corbusier are associated with this furniture, the bid amount is also in lakhs of rupees. Each chair easily fetches Rs 8-10 lakh.

In response to a letter about the auction of Chandigarh heritage items in Luxembourg in an arbitrary manner, the antiquity section of the ASI stated: “With reference to the subject, it is to inform again that the objects that are being auctioned do not fall under the purview of the AAT Act, 1972, and, the ASI has no scope to process the matter.”

Six artefacts went under the hammer in the US on April 30

Ajay Jagga, member , Heritage Items Protection Cell, UT, had sent a representation to the Indian authorities, requesting them to stop the auction of UT’s heritage furniture to be held in Luxembourg on March 24 this year.

Responding to the letter on May 1, the ASI stated that UT’s heritage furniture does not come under the definition of antiquity or art treasure as described in the 1972 law.

“The Chandigarh Administration and other enforcement agencies have already been informed to take necessary action at their end,” stated the ASI.

After getting response from the ASI, Jagga has written a letter to Rajeev Verma, UT Adviser-cum- Heritage Items Protection Cell chairman, stating that the matter of an auction in Luxembourg was reported to the Ministry of External Affairs, so that the Indian Missions could raise the issue with the apt agencies in the country concerned and the Ministry of Culture for providing apt protection to UT heritage, as provided under the Constitution of India. A few days ago, the ministry referred the matter to the ASI.

“Now, I have received a communication from the Director, Antiquities, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, which mentions that the matter is not pertaining to the ASI and they have already referred it to the Chandigarh Administration and other enforcement agencies for necessary action,” he stated.

Every month, UT heritage items are being sold in auctions abroad for lakhs of rupees.

Le Corbusier and his cousin Pierre Jeanneret had designed a variety of furniture during their stay in the City Beautiful. Chairs, tables, stools and other furniture items are either being used in Panjab University, PEC, UT buildings, Vidhan Sabhas, Punjab and Haryana High Court and other places or kept in stores. Now, many foreign auction houses conduct auctions in which Chandigarh’s heritage furniture goes under the hammer. Because the names of Jeanneret and Corbusier are associated with this furniture, the bid amount is also in lakhs of rupees. Each chair easily fetches Rs 8-10 lakh.

Jagga has repeatedly being raising the matter with the Central government as the furniture is being transported illegally from here to foreign countries. However, no major action was ever taken in this case.

In an auction of UT’s heritage items, six artefacts from the city went under the hammer in the USA on April 30. The items fetched a total of Rs 50.92 lakh. In the auction held last month in Chicago, USA, seven heritage items from the city were auctioned for Rs 69.18 lakh.

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