Centre alerted over sale of heritage furniture abroad

Amid growing concerns over the unchecked sale of Chandigarh’s heritage furniture, yet another auction of such articles is set to take place in the Netherlands on February 15, claimed Ajay Jagga, member of UT’s Heritage Items Protection Cell.

Jagga has written to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, urging immediate diplomatic action to prevent the auction. He stressed that despite prohibitory orders, articles of India’s heritage continue to be smuggled and auctioned abroad, demanding accountability and stronger enforcement.

“An upcoming auction by Hessink’s in the Netherlands on February 15 includes a rare teak triangular coffee table designed by Pierre Jeanneret for his private residence in Chandigarh. Previously, a similar auction was conducted by WRIGHT in the US on January 9. The estimated price of the table ranges from €4,000-€6,000 (Rs 3.6-5.4 lakh),” said Jagga.

Such sales violate India’s heritage protection laws and contradict the government’s vision of “Viksit Bhi, Virasat Bhi”. He urged the MEA to sensitise Indian embassies worldwide about such auctions, enabling them to raise timely objections and intervene diplomatically, he added.

Missing items

While these heritage artefacts are being sold for thousands of euros and dollars abroad, a report by the Government College of Art, Sector 10, submitted to the Department of Urban Planning, Chandigarh, had highlighted the disappearance of multiple heritage furniture items. The latest inventory reveals missing wooden tables, chairs, racks and benches, while several other items have been marked as broken or unserviceable. After a theft in 2016, where 15 sofa chairs and a wooden table were stolen, one of which was allegedly burnt, the recovered chairs are still lying with the police.