As many as 29 heritage items from Chandigarh went under the hammer in an auction held in France on June 4, triggering outrage among the city’s heritage protection cell members.
As per details, the auction, which took place at OISE Enchreres auction house in France, fetched an estimated Rs 4 crore — with a sofa set and a pair of armchairs designed by Swiss architect Pierre Jeanneret getting the highest bid of Rs 42.35 lakh.
Contacted, member of heritage protection cell, Ajay Jagga, said that he had written to the Secretary General of Rajya Sabha regarding the issue.
In the communique sent Jagga has stated, “ I am submitting this communication, for the protection/return of Indian heritage, as per the mandate of the Constitution of India is already there under article 49 in this regard. On June 4, an auction house in France namely OISE Encheres auctioned 28 items of Chandigarh, which are heritage articles of Chandigarh.”
He added, “ The heritage articles are being auctioned regularly in foreign countries without any resistance from Government of India. These auction houses are now also declaring the source place of the heritage articles e.g. in the present auction, the auction house announced that the chair is from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh.”
He requested if the government can contemplate an action plan.
“The aim is to be work out an appropriate action plan, so that Chandigarh Heritage cannot be taken beyond the boundaries of India, as per the orders of MHA (dated Feb 22, 2011) and those which are taken abroad illegally, their auctions are stopped through diplomatic channels and further are brought back, as they were taken out of India, in an illegal manner.”