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 Withering
Sindh Heritage
By Momin Bullo
The over all condition of monuments of historical value spreading
in Sindh is stated to be pathetic. There are two categories of
monuments: one being looked after by the Federal-cum-Provincial
governments and the others are under the custody of International
organization like UNESCO etc.
Those coming under the purview of provincial governments department
are completely at the verge of losing their existence sooner or
little later. Ironically those which are being looked after by
the international agencies, with heavy investments too are under
going the same fate.
Only two giant sites of Moen-jo-Daro and Makli necropolis working
under UNESCO and are on World Heritage List (WHL).
Despite the fact both these monuments are components of WHL but
unfortunately their condition too doesn’t seem to be impressing
as compared to those which are either working under the provincial
government or standing as orphans.
There are dozens of Chowkundi graveyards of Kalhora to Talpur
rulers spreading in different areas of the province. Because of
their sheer negligence of the authorities concerned almost al
these historical graveyards almost all these historical graveyards
are at the verge of completely going down to drain.
While at several places the ages old mounds like Kaho-Jo-Daro
(in Mirpurkhas) or Jakhar-Jo-Daro (Larkana) have been completely
encroached upon by the unauthorized encroachers.
In the recently released handout by the World Monuments Fund it
was declared that two monuments of Mian Naseer Muhammad Graveyard
in Dadu district and the Thatta’s famous Makli graveyard
have been added in a long list of 100 most endangered sites of
the world.
The WMF has issued warnings that the sites would cease to exist
if timely measures were not taken for their rehabilitation, renovation,
preservation & maintenance.
Mian Naseer Muhammad Kalhora was a member of the Kalhora class
that ruled over Sindh during the Mughal period (1736).
Many of his followers are buried near him in the graveyard, which
contains about 60 tombs. Some of the structures feature “onion-layered”
domes that epitomize mastery in crafts-manship. The interior is
decorated with complex frescoes and mosaics from the late 18 and
19th centuries.
The domes in some of the tombs have developed cracks, allowing
rain to seep into the interior and destroying the frescoes.
Similarly, the monuments of Thatta spread over and area of 10
square Kms, and are located on a ridge.
The structures are exposed to harsh winds and rain and many
of them have been suffering from soil erosion.
It is said that the federal government has in principle decided
to hand over the department of archaeology to the provinces. Since
past over two year it is the talk of the town that the department
is being shifted to Sindh very soon, but so far no action has
been taken to expedite the process to formally hand it over to
the province. In this transitory period the monuments are treated
like an abandoned land.
“If the circumstances continued unabated the time is not
far away when the whole province would be barred from its rich
cultural heritage”, remarked a senior journalist of Hyderabad.
Not a single penny out of the Rs100 million, allocated by the
Sindh government, has been spent on the maintenance and rehabilitation
of the archeological sites of the historical significance of Sindh
despite a lapse of more than seven months, well-placed sources
told.
The provincial government allocated Rs100 million for renovation,
repairs and rehabilitation of historical and heritage sites in
the budget but so far the finance department has not released
funds because the authorities are unsure which department is supposed
to undertake the task since there is no provincial archaeology
department.
The finance department had earlier approached the services and
works department asking it to furnish a list of the projects so
that funds could be released. The services and works department
informed the finance department they had nothing to do with archaeological
and heritage sites and suggested they take up the matter with
the culture and tourism department,” said the source.
The finance department received a similar response from the culture
department saying they had nothing to do with the subject. However,
they referred the matter to the director-general projects and
special initiatives of the services and general administration
department.
The director-general projects and special initiatives was finally
entrusted the task and asked to identify schemes for renovation
or rehabilitation of historical monuments during this financial
year.
Ten schemes were then submitted to the finance department with
a total estimated cost of Rs135.87 million.
These schemes include the shrine of Mian Nasir Mohammad Kalhoro
and graveyard Khairpur Nathan Shah, District Dadu, Freemason’s
Hall Karachi, Dabgir Mosque Thatta, Baloch Tombs near Murad Memon
Goth Karachi, Ghazi Khan’s Tomb and the graveyard near the
shrine at Lakhi Shah Saddar, Sewhan, District Jamshoro, Umerkot
Fort, Bhurghari Graveyard Tando Jan near Tando Fazal Hyderabad,
Pir Lakho, district Thatta, Graveyard and historic mosque at Pir
Patho, district Thatta and Rashdi Mosque Naudero, district Larkana.
The expected completion mismanagement, of the first nine projects
is December while restoration work on Rashid Mosque Naudero is
expected to be completed in October. The funds release are still
awaited, said the well-placed sources.
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Unauthorized
Sale of Priceless Fossils Rampant in Hyderabad
By Yawar Kazmi
Truck loads of fossil swept from a rich Petrified Forest zone
covering Rani Kot fort to Karchat in Kheerthar mountains, surprised
to public when they were kept on public sale at a botanical nursery
near Wahdat Colony, Hyderabad, early this month. The precious
fossils were smuggled out from the outskirts of Rani Kot fort
by some unscrupulous and profiteers and were put on display near
Sindh provincial museum, where also lies main offices of archaeology
department.
The fossilized stones were sold like a hot cake. They price of
the fossils varied from size to size and shape to shape.
An average size stone’s price ranged from Rs. 8000 to Rs.
15000.
According to a survey at least four truck loads of precious fossils
collected from the Kheerthar range were soled within a small period
of seven days.
“If the unabated sweeping and smuggling of the precious
fossils continued, there is no reason that within a period of
couple of months, the whole reservoirs of these petrified forests
in the area would lose its existence”, warned Pakistan Heritage
Preservation & Promotion Society.
Following a press release issued by the PHPPS the sale of the
stones were publicly stopped but according to reports it is still
continue at a secret place in the city.
Ironically when the officials of Archaeology department housed
in the premises of Sindh Provincial Museum were contacted and
made aware of the unauthorized sale of valuable antiques, they
simply ignored the matter by saying that the same issue didn’t
relate to them as it may come under Mines and Mineral Development
department.
However, when secretary of Mines and Mineral Development department,
Mr. Abdul Hameed Akhund was contacted and was asked about the
legality of the claim of archaeology department, he categorically
stated that the antiques lying on the surface of the ground are
the subject of Archaeology department while those yet to be discovered
comes under the purview of Mines and Mineral Development department.
According to reports each truck carrying tons of fossils reach
to its destiny (Hyderabad) at the rate of Rs. 8000 only.
While an average sized fossil of 2 to 3 feet was sold at the rate
of Rs. 8000 to 12000.
During the survey conducted by the PHPPS staffers it was came
to our knowledge that the mafia busy in sweeping these priceless
antiques to the urban areas work with the connivance of police
officials and the concerned department.
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