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| 50,000 years old fossil; now issue of prestige for JU students | | Mattoo fails to defend case, Azad misguided by his officials | | Devender Padha
Jammu | June 10
The 50,000 year old fragile Elephant fossil, which was kept deserted under the tin shed for the last seven years near the excavation site at Galandar near Pampore in Kashmir, has certainly assumed much of significance for Kashmir University (KU) authorities. Reason, a six-member Jammu University (JU) team led by Prof GM Bhat brought the fossil, wrapped in plaster-of-paris, to Jammu for further research and better preservation.
Unable to digest the move by Prof Bhat, some of the geologists of Kashmir floated news in media that fossil with its large tusk has gone missing and even laid apprehensions that it might have been smuggled out to be sold in the international market which ultimately gave rise to tussle between KU authorities and Prof GM Bhat resulting into the Chief Minister’s order to KU Vice Chancellor to bring the fossil to Kashmir. But, the students of JU have now come up to defend the prestige of their University by not allowing the fossil to shift back to valley after the Vice Chancellor JU failed to do so.
Surprisingly, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, without even going through the entire details, shot off the letter to Kashmir University (KU) Vice Chancellor directed him to bring the fossil back to Kashmir. According to a highly placed source, Azad was kept in dark over the matter by some of his officials which only highlighted projected the Kashmiri side and deliberately hided facts put forth by Prof GM Bhat to defend his case.
It is to mention that, Prof Amitabh Mattoo, Vice Chancellor JU too failed to defend the case despite knowing the genuineness of the claim as he didn’t want to be embroiled in any kind of controversy. Sources close to Prof Mattoo divulged that even Prof Mattoo put the pressure on Prof GM Bhat to give up the claim on fossil.
Meanwhile, after much deliberation, a six-member KU team arrived in Jammu on Wednesday to take the fossil back to Kashmir and the return was scheduled for early this morning. But, due to some unknown reasons, the return was delayed for next morning. According to reports, late last night some of the students objected to the shifting back of fossil to KU and threaten to launch stir against the move which forced the delay.
It is to mention that the fossil was discovered in a field of saffron at Gallander, east of Srinagar, the state's summer capital, by geology students who were on a study tour immediately called in experts. Their initial find was immediately reported to the Geology and Geophysics Department of Kashmir University whose experts which included Prof GM Bhat, the then reader in Geology department of KU, excavated the site.
The find consisted of a skull measuring 5ft by 4ft (1.5m by 1.2m) with complete lower and upper jaws, a broken tusk and a vertebra. Thereafter, the precious find was soon forsaken with not even a guard in charge. After seven years, Prof GM Bhat received a communication from one of his friends about the dilapidated condition of the rare fossil. Concerned over the matter, Prof Bhat brought the fossil to Jammu on January 10, 2007 with the knowledge of JU Vice Chancellor as JU had sanctioned Rs 1 lakh for shifting the fossil. Even the Registrar KU had given the written permission for the shifting, sources disclosed.
But, now stage seems to be all set for yet another battle as students of JU were geared up to defend the prestige of their University and there is a likelihood that CM Azad and Prof Mattoo will face the ire of students for surrendering the case of JU before the vested interests of some valley based people.
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