Chandigarh, Aug 11 (PTI) An advocate — member of the Heritage Items Protection Cell, Chandigarh — on Tuesday urged Vice President and Panjab University Chancellor C P Radhakrishnan to intervene in the proposed auction of two heritage furniture items of Panjab University in Chicago on August 13.
In a representation to the Vice President, advocate Ajay Jagga claimed two items belonging to Panjab University had been listed for sale by a Chicago-based auction house and sought immediate steps to put the auction on hold.
According to the representation, Lot No 155 comprises a set of eight dining chairs with an estimated price of USD 12,000-15,000. The auction house has described them as student residence chairs of Panjab University.
Lot No 161 is described as a writing chair from Panjab University, with an estimated price of USD 3,000-4,000.
Jagga said the two lots were valued at USD 13,000-19,000 (approximately Rs 12.40 lakh to Rs 18.12 lakh).
He requested the university and the authorities concerned to formally object to the proposed auction and seek the assistance of Indian diplomatic authorities in the US to ascertain how the items reached Chicago.
The advocate referred to constitutional provisions relating to preservation of India’s heritage and said Panjab University had a moral and institutional responsibility to safeguard its historical assets.
He cited Article 51A(f) of the Constitution, which calls upon citizens to value and preserve India’s rich cultural heritage, and Article 49, which relates to protection of monuments, places and objects of national importance.
Jagga also referred to a Ministry of Home Affairs order dated February 22, 2011, which he said prohibited the disposal and export of such heritage items.
He sought an inquiry into how the two articles allegedly came into the possession of the auction house and whether they were lawfully removed from India.
The representation also called for an investigation into whether the items were legally sold or whether they could have been removed from Panjab University without authorisation.
Jagga said the authorities should ascertain whether Indian and US laws relating to the export and import of heritage articles were followed and how the items were transported to the United States.
He also suggested that the matter be taken up with US law enforcement agencies through the Indian Embassy in Washington to determine the provenance and legal status of the articles.
The advocate said the priority should be to prevent the proposed auction and, if the articles were found to be Indian heritage property, explore legal and diplomatic avenues for their recovery.
He alleged that previous instances involving Chandigarh heritage articles had also required intervention by Indian authorities and said the Chandigarh administration and Ministry of External Affairs had succeeded in stopping two such auctions in France and Spain.
Jagga urged the Vice President, the university and other authorities to order a detailed probe to establish who sold or removed the articles, when they left India and whether any laws or government orders were violated.
He said protecting such heritage objects was important for preserving India’s post-Independence architectural and cultural legacy for future generations. PTI VSD ARB ARB
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