State treasure trove lies in tatters

Hyderabad: Unfortunate, but true, the treasure trove of knowledge of Hyderabad’s rich history and culture seems to be dying a slow death. With over 12,000 rare scriptures including land records of the Nizam era, letters of Alluri Sitarama Raju etc, the Telangana State Archives & Research Institute is a testimony of Bhagyanagar’s glorious past.

Scholars from different nationalities pursuing their doctorates come here looking for theses and published material in the field of their research. Manuscripts in different languages like Persian, Urdu etc are kept here for literature and history enthusiasts to savour. Established in 1965, the institute is aimed to nourish younger generations with insightful information and stories from yesteryears. With the lack of sufficient funds and support from the State government, the organisation is slowing losing its charm and identity.

An internal source told The Hans India that though initially Rs 2 crore was allocated to maintain and preserve records and valuable books, in course of time the monetary support was withdrawn. The source also said that after 1998, no government orders were sent to the institute to update its library. Priceless books lie in a clumsy state on tables and cupboards with no one to dust or take good care
of them.

Though it was announced earlier that the State government was keen on undertaking the digitalisation of the archives, there seems to be not much progress due to insufficient staff and technology. An official on condition of anonymity said, “We had a micro film reader for catering to the needs of the scholars who want to analyse preserved media content at the archives but with no budget and no staff for maintenance, the device is no longer functioning.

Despite several complaints, there has been no replacement for the machine. Hence, we had to allow the visitors to photograph the reels for Rs 500 because photocopying could destroy the content in them.”

Even the fumigation chamber which is meant for protecting and preserving old scriptures from termite attacks has stopped working due to the unavailability of chemicals needed for the cleansing. The safety of these invaluable possessions too is uncertain as none of the cupboards in the library has a proper lock system.

Dusty, locked rooms and isolated corridors are a common sight at the State Archives and Research Institute. With many employees retiring every year and no new reappointments by the government, the number of staff has declined from over 184 to only 35 people today, making it difficult to manage work at the organisation. Contract workers are being hired by the institute to help maintain the building.

It was surprising when one of the members at the institute told us that the receptionist at the front desk was professionally an electrician! It is unfortunate that an institute which is considered to be the temple of higher education is facing shortage of experienced human resources to guide those
in need.

By: Maitreyi Tadepalli