Preserving heritage and resolving conflicts

This is a question for the conservation community about the judgment
given by supreme court of India over a land dispute which led to
violent communal riots and demolition of a mosque  built in 1528 in
Ayodhya, India. On the basis of an Archaeological Survey of India
report, the  Hindu religious groups claim that the mosque was built
on the site of a temple believed to be the birth place of an
important Hindu deity. The mosque was demolished in 1992. The
supreme court of India on the basis of archaeological evidence has
given an order to excavate the land around the disputed structure
(now demolished) and collect further evidence if any for the remains
of a temple. In a country like India where virtually every structure
may be standing on layers of history is it wise to excavate or
demolish existing structures? What role can conservators play in
resolving such conflicts?

Aparna Tandon
Curator-conservator
Amar Mahal Museum and Library
India


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 16:52
                 Distributed: Wednesday, March 12, 2003
                       Message Id: cdl-16-52-021
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