HYDERABAD: Who will bell the cat? That seems to be the question taunting officials of the department of archaeology and museums of both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
With the buildings and staff of the two departments having already been divided between the two states about six months ago, a huge question mark has been looming large with regard to the artefacts and antiquities preserved at the YSR State Archaeology Museum at the Public Gardens here.
According to sources, the departments of both AP and TS have recommended the names of four top officials each in order to form a committee to oversee the division. However, they appear to be unable to find a suitable and neutral chairperson for the committee.
It has also come to forth that the name of superintendent archaeologist of Archaeological Survey of India R Krishnaiah was being considered for the chairperson’s post but he refused to accept the responsibility. Officials in both the departments believe a solution can be arrived at only if a neutral person is found.
Lakhs of antiquities, namely, coins, manuscripts, stone and bronze sculptures, arms and weapons, jewellery, chinaware, porcelain, miniatures, paintings, palm leaves, scriptures, excavated material, inscriptions on stone, palm leaves, copper plate, treasure troves, wooden carvings, iron cannon balls and others that dating back to thousands of years are preserved at the state museum of the erstwhile united AP.
With the state and the departments bifurcated, the department of archaeology of AP has made its claims so as to display them at their Vijayawada museum. “A committee was set up a month ago with four executives from both departments. We suggest that all antiquities in Hyderabad State Museum should be divided based on the available documents,” said GV Ramakrishna Rao, director of State Archaeology of AP.
Each artefact could be divided based on the accession register which suggests whether it was excavated, received as donation, purchased or found as treasure trove. In case of unknown provenance, it could be divided as per the bifurcation ratio, added Rao.
When inquired, director of State Museum Suguna Sharma said the museum is yet to be bifurcated. “Works are going on. We will follow the rules and do the required based on orders from the government,” she stated.
Another senior official in the Telangana state archaeology department, requesting anonymity, added, “The museum was built by the Nizam and whatever was present here before 1956 should stay with us. The rest of the artefacts procured after 1956 can be divided as per the provenance.”
He said several artefacts belonging to Telangana state are still housed in the museums of Nagarjunakonda, Vijayawada, Amaravati, Kakinada and Anantapur. “Apart from the Hyderabad museum, objects kept in district museums too need to be returned,” he pointed out.
AP Archaeology department maintains that regional museums are already under the control of respective governments and need not be considered for bifurcation of artefacts.