The heritage chairs and stools of Punjab MLA Hostel, Chandigarh were auctioned on June 4 in Chicago, USA. These chairs were sold for around Rs 37.4 lakh. After the auction, Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan expressed strong objection to this incident and ordered an investigation.
According to the information, inventory marking like “MLA (H) PB / 1 / B – 11” was clearly marked on these rare chairs. Advocate Ajay Jagga, member of the Heritage Protection Cell, had informed the Ministry of External Affairs and Culture of the Central Government about this even before their auction.
Auction at high prices abroad
An explicit ban on sending and exporting such heritage furniture out of Chandigarh was imposed by the Union Home Ministry in 2011, yet these items continue to reach foreign auction houses. In foreign countries, such furniture is auctioned at high prices citing antique value, heritage and historical facts and there the auction of such items gets good response.
Swiss architect Pierre Jeanneret designed it
According to the information, the main designer of these historical chairs auctioned from Punjab MLA Hostel was Swiss architect Pierre Jeanneret. Who was a famous architect and designer from Switzerland. They were constructed primarily during the development of the Chandigarh Capital Project around 1955–1956.
Pierre Jeanneret, cousin of architect Le Corbusier, who designed Chandigarh, designed such furniture for government buildings at that time. It was Corbusier who had prepared the master plan of Chandigarh city. He designed major government buildings like the Secretariat, Assembly and High Court of Chandigarh. While Pierre Jeanneret worked as the Chief Architect in Chandigarh from 1951 to 1965, he shaped the university, hostels, administrative buildings and residential houses there.
Indian female architect had cooperated
These chairs and stools were designed in the mid-1950s (circa 1955). These were prepared locally for the newly built Punjab Assembly and MLA Hostel. Although the main design was by Pierre Jeanneret, India’s first woman architect Iuli Chaudhary and some other Indian designers also collaborated in making it.
The biggest identity of furniture
The biggest identity of this furniture collection is its legs, which look like an inverted ‘V’ letter. This design gives amazing strength to the furniture. Pierre Jeanneret made this furniture keeping in mind the climate of India. In these, locally available teakwood and hand-woven cane rattan were used, so that they remained durable and airy. At that time, no patent or trademark was made on these chairs, so that the local carpenters and artisans of Chandigarh could easily make and repair them.
The central government had imposed a ban
The big thing is that despite the Central Government banning the sale and purchase of such heritage furniture in 2011 itself, when and how were these chairs taken out of the Punjab MLA Hostel and sent to America. Either they were sold as scrap or they were stolen but no FIR regarding theft has been registered in any police station of Chandigarh.
Heritage Protection Cell member expressed concern
Chandigarh’s Heritage Protection Cell member and advocate Ajay Jagga, who raised this entire matter, has expressed deep concern and displeasure over this matter. He has written a formal letter to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwa demanding a high-level investigation into this entire matter. Jagga argued that this auction is a direct violation of Article 49 of the Indian Constitution. This article gives the responsibility to the state government to protect objects of artistic or historical importance from being destroyed, removed, disposed of or exported out of the country.
Ajay Jagga raised questions
He raised the question that despite the stringent restrictions imposed by the Union Home Ministry on the export and sale of heritage items, how did these chairs and stools move out of the country? He asked the Punjab and Central governments who gave permission to send this item out and whether necessary heritage clearance was taken for it? Expressing disappointment, Ajay Jagga said that he had already alerted the Central Government about this auction to be held on June 4. He met Foreign Minister S. A letter was written to Jaishankar and Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, demanding diplomatic intervention to stop it, but despite this the historical heritage could not be saved from being auctioned.
At present, no reaction has come from Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwa regarding this entire matter. He has said that he will be busy in a central convention for the next three days. Whereas when Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann was asked about this issue, he left without answering. However, it is not yet clear whether this heritage furniture was sent abroad from India during the tenure of this government or all this happened during some previous government.
Auctions were held in foreign markets earlier also
However, this is not the first time that Chandigarh’s heritage has been openly auctioned in foreign markets. Even before this, the historical furniture of Punjab University, Central Library and administrative buildings has been sold at throwaway prices and fetched a price of crores in auctions from India and abroad.
The big question is that despite continuous complaints and strict restrictions of the Union Home Ministry, how did this goods with government marking get smuggled out of the country right under the nose of the customs department and security agencies? After the assembly speaker’s orders for investigation, the ball is now in the court of the Center and the Punjab government. It remains to be seen whether the government is able to reach the real mastermind of this heritage furniture theft, or like every time, this time too this issue related to priceless historical heritage will remain just a political issue.
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