Early Times Report
JAMMU, Oct 13: Even as a Joint House Committee of the Legislative Council today met under the chairmanship of MLC Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo to inquire about misplaced items of Toshkhana, the bigger question is will this Committee dare to take action against those political stalwarts who were reportedly involved in taking valueable items of Toshkhana to their own houses.
It is alleged that many valueable and antique items of the Toshkhana, which were part of the history of Dogra rulers of the State, were taken by some big politicians of the State to their own homes.
These items were associated with the great Dogra rulers from Maharaja Gulab Singh to last Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh. The politicians had deliberately taken that items to their homes due to their anti-Dogra mindsets and second that items are of huge value.When Joint House Committee was met today, people were asking the question will the present government, in which pro-Jammu BJP is important partner, will show the guts to get that valuable antique items of Toshkhana back from the drawing rooms of big politicians of the State. According to an official handout issued today, the joint house committee meeting was attended by Ashok Khajuria (Special invitee), G.N. Monga, Vikramaditya Singh, Charanjeet Singh and Members of Legislative Assembly, Aijaz Ahmed Khan, Ch. Qamar Hussain, Pawan Kumar Gupta and Secretary Council Abdul Majeed.
The committee was constituted to probe into the fire incident in the Historical Mubarak Mandi complex in February 2009, reasons for demolishing the park and historical Chabbutra in Mubarak Mandi besides to enquire into misplaced items from Toshkhana .
After threadbare deliberations the meeting decided to chalk out an appropriate line of action including on spot inspection of the said site and then framing recommendations based on the questionnaire answered by all the stake- holders including representatives of Mubarak Mandi Heritage Society, Archaeological Survey of India, INTACH, Civil society members along with officials from the departments of culture and police. |
