Tuesday, 15 July 2014

Dear All

My recent letter to the Commissioner of Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) and news appearing in today’s newspapers (Tuesday, 15 July 2014. Loksatta and Maharashtra Times) has become a routine affair for last few years. What Institute for Oriental Study, Thane is facing is the same story in every town; small or large in the state of Maharashtra, i.e. total neglect and apathy towards our Cultural heritage.

What is happening at Thane is a symptom of a deep-rooted problem.

Respect to Culture or to Cultural heritage is a sign of mature developed society. This is an attitude, which need cultivation from childhood. What cultural artifacts we have today are the outcome of cultural policy of our Colonial masters. They established native libraries and preserve every carved stone as a product of Civilization of the past. What we talk today of our rich cultural heritage or our contribution to science and technology is the result of preservation of these resources by our colonial masters.

Post independent neither we could add or continue the preservation of these valuable resources, but we lost many books, manuscripts and artifacts due to our negligence and apathy. Central, State or local Governments and people will have to share the responsibility of this neglect equally.

We live in a democracy and our Governments are the reflections of people themselves. We elect them for five years.

Who are they?

In Thane we do not have even graduate representatives at local, state or central bodies with few exceptions or some with a dubious doctorates. Some of them are TADA detainees or booked for criminal activities. TMC educational body has maximum members without any University degree. We have ruling political parties capitalizing on cultural, religious and language issues. They are busy in vandalizing tollbooths or forcibly closing schools for religious festivals. Every religious festival from Ganapati, Navaratri to Dahihandi has been politicized and commercialized. This is compounded with culturally numb and corrupt bureaucracy and police force.

Can we expect anything different from such elected local representatives and political parties?

Very soon we have state elections in Maharashtra. You will get new promises and manifestoes intoxicated with cultural and language revival promises. Political parties are confident that they can fool you.

Can we continue to hand over our culture to such criminal, vandals or uncultured illiterates? You have to take a decision so that at least our grand children will not loose faith in democracy.

Inaction of literates is more dangerous than atrocious actions of uncultured literates or illiterates.

Vijay Bedekar

My recent letter to Thane Municipal Commissioner.

INSTITUTE FOR ORIENTAL STUDY, THANE

Sunday, 13 July 2014

To

Commissioner,

Thane Municipal Corporation, Thane (TMC)

Dear Sir,

It is with great displeasure, anguish and pain that I am addressing this letter to you. Kindly refer to my last letter dated 10 March 2014 and earlier half a dozen letters written to you and your predecessor, about not honoring the commitments of Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC,Thane) to Institute for Oriental Study, Thane (IOS, Thane) regarding providing minimum facilities to start working of research library and museum, when it was shifted from Shahu Mandai, Naupada to a new place at Hajuri.

We have about 25,000 rare books, about 3,000 Sanskrit manuscripts and many rare artifacts. Due to lack of adequate exhibition facilities, we yet have not been able to exhibit them and offer them for use to researchers.

The top floor of the building is heavily leaking and water is percolating to lower floors, threatening to damage the collections. This problem was brought to your notice when you visited this place last. This amounts to criminal negligence of valuable Cultural heritage of Nation.

I honestly do not know what more should we do to convince you to act urgently in this matter? This is the third year that no action has been taken to prevent the heavy leakage of water from terrace of the building. This is the property of TMC and hardly anything we can do to stop this leakage.

We are born, brought up and are going to die in this town only. You will leave this place after completion of your stipulated period, without any accountability to damage caused to the Cultural heritage of this town, by your stubborn negligence and inaction.

We have been struggling hard to create this Institute (IOS,Thane) so that people need not go to Mumbai or Pune for their research needs in this subject. It was amusing to read your announcement to create Garden Libraries in the city of Thane.

We are fatigue and tired now, as nothing more can be done to a culturally numb bureaucracy. I assure you that this is my last letter to you, as I am convinced, that it is a futile exercise. This is a reward to patience in the democracy.

I wish you a grand success to your Cluster and Thane Metro and many such mega projects.

With warm regard

Vijay Bedekar