[Reader-list] Lala Rukh Selim on Musee Guimet

[Naeem Mohaiemen]

Link to this op-ed is at:
http://www.drishtipat.org/blog/2007/12/01/tintin-bengal/

Why risk invaluable heritage for vague 'cultural benefits'?
By Lala Rukh Selim
Dated 29.11.2007
In response to the French, Embassy's reply entitled "Int'l show will
bring cultural benefits to Bangladesh" (published in The Daily Star of
27 November 2007) to the statement of four citizens, we would again
take this opportunity to voice our confusion as to what exactly are
the 'cultural benefits' that are being alluded to? We as Bangladeshis
are very secure of the cultural heritage that we have. We are proud of
it as it reflects a past of assimilation, integration and syncretism.
Any person in the world may learn of our culture spanning thousands of
years from many sources and are always welcome to visit our land to
study our culture. Why should an exhibition in France benefit
Bangladesh, especially an exhibition where the priceless treasures of
our country have been selected without involving Bangladeshi experts,
where the cataloguing is inaccurate and unprofessional, where the
insurance is laughable? Such an exhibition may benefit the French, but
how it will benefit Bangladesh is not conceivable. We may have been
able to consider the tangible benefits if the French government had
agreed to send Bangladesh an exchange exhibition of its own priceless
treasures. As there is no mention of any such exchange exhibition, the
vague 'benefits' only succeeds in baffling us.

 It makes us very curious as to why the French Government is so keen
on the exhibition when we have learnt from reliable sources that the
Expert Committee constituted by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs of
Bangladesh has noted various points of serious concern regarding it.
This has made the exhibition considerably controversial and much
debated.

Firstly, the citizens of Bangladesh were completely in the dark while
the French and Bangladeshi governments were planning, organizing and
implementing various stages of activities relating to the exhibition
for nearly past four years. The people whose patrimony is to be
transported to a foreign country were not informed of this impending
fact. There was no media coverage, which would ensure the transparency
of an event of such immense cultural magnitude. Would the Monalisa
leave the Louvre without the people of France knowing of it?

Gradually, with constant prodding and litigation from citizens from
various levels of society it came to light that there are gaping holes
in the contract that has been signed between the two nations. Perhaps
most horrifying and barbaric is the fact that even the exact number of
artifacts packed to leave for France is unknown while some pieces lack
identification, they do not have the counter signature of the
concerned authorities or a listing of the museum accession numbers in
the contract. The visual documentation is faulty and incomplete. The
identification and documentation of the objects are obscure,
inadequate and, in some cases, absent. The list of items have been
wavering between 168 to 189 which may have been acceptable for a
consignment of eggs or apples (though that too is questionable!) but
for a priceless collection of artifacts this is unheard of. For
example, the total number of coins is stated, but no details supplied
as to their dating, material and description. The two invaluable Pala
palm leaf manuscripts which are awaiting transport are so fragile that
the number of pages cannot be counted. In view of the enormous value
of these items, it looks like sheer lunacy to subject them to travel.
Let it suffice to say that even a single sheet is enough to represent
the refined achievement of that period.

More horrors were revealed when   it came to be known that the Musee
Guimet was given permission to restore the artifacts prior to the
exhibition in the Guimet laboratory. These artifacts were mostly taken
from display cases so the need for restoration does not seem to be
relevant and the ones that need restoration should not travel at all.
It is learnt that the Expert Committee is of the opinion that they
should not be allowed to be restored after they leave the territory of
Bangladesh because the contract is flawed by bad documentation and a
very low insurance value.

Who will know if pages of the Prajnaparamita manuscript or a Maurya
coin is missing if we do not know what and how many is going in the
first place? What if some of them are missing when and if they are
returned? What if they are damaged in transport or the transport
destroyed? The "what ifs" are cause for deep anxiety for all concerned
citizens of Bangladesh. What is also causing more dismay is the rather
paternal and colonial psyche expressed by the French when they
repeatedly remind Bangladeshis about the 'cultural benefits' to
Bangladesh. Are the Bangladeshis less able to understand and judge
what is good for themselves than the French? Do we need the
patronizing attitude of the French who pretend to know better what is
good for us? Bangladesh has a glowing history. It has not colonized
any nation. Imperialism is not part of its past. It has always
assimilated and embraced the cultural influences that have entered
from the outside world. It has only resorted to violence when faced
with oppression and exploitation. It has stood up against the colonial
power of the British, the Language Movement took place when its
culture was challenged and the Liberation War against Pakistan was
again a fight against oppression and colonialism. If anything,
Bangladesh has a wonderful cultural image, which can in no way be
bettered by any exhibition anywhere in the world. If the French
government is bent on wresting our heritage from us by sheer force,
let it be known that it will prove once more that history repeats
itself and morals and ethics, law and justice plays into the hands of
those who possess power. The French government is going against all
codes of ethical conduct when they disregard our opinions and the laws
of our land. We, the people of Bangladesh protest and will protest
against this outrage and misuse of power. We want proper
documentation, we want the due involvement of the professionals of our
country and we want the just insurance value of our artifacts. Let it
also be clear that the artifacts in question are the creation of the
cumulative genius of our ancestors, creations inspired by the spirit
and soul of our people, not the whim of nature, as are the mineral or
natural resources of our country. We, the people of Bangladesh, demand
respect and justice for our cultural heritage and we will not rest or
hold our peace in the face of force.