A visit to the Dogra Art Museum at Pink Hall used to take us back to that era, and it was an experience never to be forgotten. The calmness and peace, historic artefacts, wall-size paintings, swords, and all weaponry are just too awesome to be forgotten shortly. Ever since the downfall of the Dogra Dynasty, the palaces as well as their belongings were handled in a way that made it seem like some outside invader had conquered the territory and had nothing to care about the earlier ruler. In both Jammu and Srinagar, the palaces were converted into Government offices, resulting in true vandalism of historic heritage buildings, with despoliation of unimaginable proportions, and what could have been a grand museum or heritage hotel was now reduced to rubble. The same is true of Toshkhana: there was no record of what was there, who handled the things, what was left, no videography, nothing on record until the 1980s when the Jammu and Kashmir High Court appointed a committee to investigate what was there. In the mid-eighties, with the emergence of terrorism, this Toshkhana lost all focus, and things turned from bad to worse. Despite elections and elected Governments since 1996, nothing constructive for Toshkhana has been done. A mysterious fire broke out in 2009 at Toshkhana. There was no damage assessment; it was free for all, and whatever was left was eventually stored in the Civil Secretariat’s strong room and the Toshkhana Organization’s stores. An investigation committee was also formed to look into the fire incident, but no logical conclusion was reached. Nobody was bothered, as a treasure of historic significance has been lying without proper care. Nobody knows what happened to the heirlooms, clothing, gold and silver utensils and cutlery, furniture, fixtures, carpets, and other items. What the Hospitality and Protocol Department has to do with Toshkhana items is beyond one’s imagination. Ultimately, in August 2022, the LG administration ordered to hand over all the items to the Culture Department. Six months gone, employees transferred, but no handover-takeover on the ground. There seems to be least coordination between different departments. The Archives, Archaeology, and Museums Department, assigned for the task, are themselves short on space. The museum is currently housed in the Army Headquarters Building; when the entire Heritage Mubarak Mandi Complex will be restored following the duly approved Master Plan 2019, no one knows. The roofs of all palaces under the supervision of the Mubarak Mandi Heritage Society have been demolished, and when these structures will get back to their original shape is now anybody’s guess.
The administration has taken the right decision, and it’s time for all concerned departments to chalk out a proper time-bound plan to conceive and deliver a Grand Museum of the Dogra Era. The Mubarak Mandi Hertige Complex Master Plan has proper plans for the Grand Museum, but four years have already elapsed, and a project that was supposed to be completed by now is nowhere near completion. as such, it requires the immediate attention of the highest authorities. Meanwhile, all items should be handed over to the Archives, Archaeology, and Museums Department to store them properly under their custody. Any missing items must be recovered and restored to their proper place. The G-20 meetings are scheduled in Jammu and Kashmir, and it is indeed a historic moment to showcase Jammu and Kashmir’s glorious history.
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