Archaeological Survey of India Must Emulate 'Field Marshal' Ayub Khan's Example

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 7 January 2025 In a scathing critique, Scottish historian and Indologist William Dalrymple condemned the demolition of Agra's 17th-century Mubarak Manzil, calling it an "Appalling Negligence Of India's Heritage" and the main reason why the country fails to attract tourists from abroad despite its rich cultural past. Sharing TOI's report on a social media platform, Dalrymple said, "One of the most important historic buildings in Agra destroyed with the full connivance of authorities. This is exactly why India attracts so few tourists." In a continuation post on X, Dalrymple added, "Neglect your main heritage centres, allow developers to raze all its heritage properties, and then be surprised when this great country has fewer tourists than Dubai or Singapore." Desecration of monuments and historical sites is a national pastime of Indians. It's our favourite hobby-horse. We're least bothered about the upkeep of our monuments. You can see Suresh loves Meena; Deepak loves Gita or Hearts pierced by arrows inscribed on a faraway walls of even sites like Taj Mahal and Red Fort! I often go to Aurangabad - sorry, no Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar! It's for religio-political Hindus and sounds so grating - to teach Urdu and Persian. The city has many historical sites like Biwi Ka Maqbara, Turbat-e-Alamgeer (Tomb of Aurangzeb), Daultabad Fort, Panchakki, to name but a few. Many parts and portions of these sites are badly damaged. But who cares? We've a casual attitude towards our heritage. I wrote a couple of years ago in The Tribune, Chandigarh, that even in a failed country like Pakistan with the same ethos, one finds monuments in a much better shape as the self-proclaimed Field Marshal Ayub Khan made the desecration of monuments a punishable offence in the 60s. The vandals at historical sites in Pakistan are immediately sent to the nearest slammer. You won't find even a trace of vandalism at Mohenjo-Daro in Larkana district, Sindh, Pakistan. Hinglaj Mata Temple in Pakistan's Balochistan region is also very well-maintained. I myself witnessed this as I've visited Pakistan a number of times. Over the last three decades, the place (Hinglaj Devi Temple) has gained increasing popularity and became a unifying point of reference for Pakistan's many Hindu communities. Archaeological Survey of India should also emulate Ayub's example to punish the transgressors. Now the 'resurgent' Hindu India is even more casual about the sites that belong to Muslims, whether mighty rulers or mendicant Sufis. We're worse than those Talibanis who destroyed Bamiyan Buddhas of Afghanistan in 2001. ---- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/archaeological-india-emulate-field-marshal-ayub/d/134263 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism