In the context of modern democracy, the adage “history repeats itself” is a crucial one for every person to understand and avoid mistakes of the past. One need not repeat the mistakes of the past to learn a lesson, just knowing and studying them can do the trick. This is where monuments and museums play a crucial role. India is a torch bearer for modern times, and given its rich heritage, ancient and modern history, it’s story is crucial for a sustainable, peaceful and prosperous future of the planet. For context, France became part of the EU more or less from an Empire status, and the USA, though an old state, became a true democracy only around 60 years back. As Indian democracy is celebrating ‘azaadi ka amrit mahotsav’, every citizen needs to do something towards preserving, protecting and upholding democratic values. First and foremost of these is to differentiate between ‘what is entertainment’ and ‘what is reality’ – where monuments and museums play a key role.
To a land that saw over 9 million manually-written sacred manuscripts burnt to the ground as the Nalanda University library was set ablaze for three painful long months, every article of inheritance that can preserve even a bit of India’s lost history matters.
On lines of the commitment between India and US to “combat theft, illicit trade, and trafficking of cultural objects”, US President Joe Biden returned 248 Indian antiquities to India, 157 of which were brought back to Indian soil by PM Modi (following his visit to US in September 2021). Earlier, in March 2021, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism had conveyed taht the Archaeological Survey of India had retrieved as many as 36 antiquities from foreign countries over the last five years. As for vigrahas of Gods and Godessess alone, since 1976, 55 vigrahas have been returned to India, 42 of which, including that of Goddess Annapurna, have been acquired back in the last 7 years.
Along with these retrieval efforts and upgrading existing museums, focus has also been on constructing new museums with engaging exhibits and content, leveraging modern technologies such as digital, augmented reality and virtual reality. From museums based on food security (Food Security Museum at Thanjavur) to museums featuring the Indian railways, there are over 1000s of them in the country. Museums in India have also gone digital, to not only remain relevant during the pandemic but to also use technology to its advantage. As of July 2021, more than 2.8 lakh artifacts of ten government museums and galleries under the Ministry of Culture were available online. Culture Ministry’s ‘Museum Grant Scheme’ provides financial assistance to State governments, societies, autonomous bodies, local bodies, and Trusts registered under the Societies Act for the digitization of art objects in the museums across the country for making their images/catalog available over the website for online access.
In January 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a set of 4 museums at Red Fort, one of which is dedicated to Netaji and the INA, known as Kranti Mandir. The complex includes Yaad-e-Jallian Museum on Jallianwala Bagh and World War 1, a Museum on 1857- India’s First War of Independence, and Drishyakala- a Museum on Indian Art which has 4 historical exhibitions, spanning three centuries, with over 450 works of art. Similarly, the newly built museum of Prime Ministers at Teen Murti Estate is ready now, and these efforts are important to engage every Indian towards a vibrant democracy.
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