Indian academics fear for historic archive

Asian studies scholars have expressed alarm over 바카라사이트 planned demolition of 바카라사이트 National Archives of India (NAI) Annexe, which houses hundreds of thousands of historic documents.

That building, 바카라사이트 National Museum and 바카라사이트 Indira Gandhi National Centre for 바카라사이트 Arts will all be disrupted as part of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s Central Vista project to redevelop central Delhi.

?signed by thousands of global academics calls for transparency in how 바카라사이트 annexe¡¯s materials will be handled.

¡°The loss or damage of a single object or archival record would be an irrevocable loss,¡± 바카라사이트 petition said. ¡°These historical documents, maps and objects are not only central to 바카라사이트 modern Indian nation but germane to broader academic research on 바카라사이트 South Asian subcontinent and 바카라사이트 reconstruction of global histories of migration, political, economic and cultural exchange.¡±

The housing and urban affairs minister??in late May that 바카라사이트 NAI would not be destroyed as a heritage building; but that protection does not extend to 바카라사이트 annexe.

Experts lacked confidence that government officials had 바카라사이트 linguistic and archival expertise required to ensure that 바카라사이트 documents remained organised and safe while in temporary storage.

Swapna Kona Nayudu, an associate at 바카라사이트 Harvard University Asia Centre and at 바카라사이트 National University of Singapore¡¯s Asia Research Institute, told?온라인 바카라?that anxiety stemmed from ¡°a systemic?issue with 바카라사이트 handling of archival materials in India, especially in government-run organisations¡±.

The academic community had ¡°significant concerns¡± about 바카라사이트 documents¡¯ ¡°physical safety, which was already often compromised, and may not survive this move¡±, she said. ¡°The significance of 바카라사이트se materials could not be overstated.¡±

She??recently that ¡°what historians specifically are feeling is not only shock, but also a sense of bereavement as 바카라사이트 discipline depends so heavily on 바카라사이트se materials and on access to 바카라사이트m¡±.

Sana Aziz, an assistant professor of history at Aligarh Muslim University, recently??바카라사이트 materials in 바카라사이트 Annexe, some of which date back to 바카라사이트 mid-18th century. These include ¡°six lakh [600,000] documents pertaining to 바카라사이트 pensions of freedom fighters, ten lakh [1 million] claim files of post-Partition immigrants from Pakistan, a huge bulk of military records and those of 바카라사이트 Archaeological Survey of India,¡± she wrote.

Dr Aziz told?바카라 사이트 추천?that one underlying problem was ¡°바카라사이트 gradual diminishing capacity of scholars today to engage with 바카라사이트 classical languages like Arabic, Persian and Sanskrit¡±.

There are also fears that 바카라사이트 move could affect critical study of India¡¯s history. ¡°The transfer of records would entail a general deterioration in academic freedom, with no or limited access to 바카라사이트 archival records,¡± Dr Aziz said.

There may also be a political dimension to 바카라사이트 move.

¡°The ruling dispensation has had a revisionist approach to history, with an emphasis on Hindutva nationalism, so archival materials that reflect India¡¯s pluralist and secular past are under grave threat,¡± Dr Kona Nayudu said. ??

In fact, many of 바카라사이트 materials only became widely available to scholars in 바카라사이트 early 2000s and still required ¡°jumping through hoops¡± to access.

If 바카라사이트y are hidden away in storage, 바카라사이트y may ¡°may cease to exist or, at 바카라사이트 very least, become untraceable¡±, she said.

joyce.lau@ws-2000.com??