Monday, February 27, 2012

When a treasure hunt became a quest for knowledge

In the last few days, all talk of treasure has vanished and it's all about the network of underground tunnels dating back to the time of the Nizams.

Kalpana Kannabiran, in The New Indian Express asks some questions that are on every parent's mind.

The Hindu has been steadfastly sceptical of the reasons for this sudden thirst for knowledge/treasure. In a section that appeared on Sunday that I can't find online, various people have been asked for their views, among them Achyut Rao (President, A.P. Bala Hakkulu Sangham), who points to the recent sacrifice (yes, really) of a 10-year-old boy in Adilabad, while someone was treasure-hunting. He says this in the context of the safety of the children on campus.

C. Rammanohar Reddy's piece today in the Hindu also states, for the first time, the threats uttered by officials. Anyone who thought this was a benign, academic quest by a benevolent and slightly fusty arm of the government will be shattered to find their trust misplaced.

Oh, and the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) has said this talk of treasure is all rubbish.

So the real - the only question - is: what do the affidavit swearers, the ASI, the Coal India person etc etc. really want?

**

The Hindu, Sunday, 26th February, 2012.



2 comments:

km said...

If the Department of Archaeology plans an extended operation will the interests of the children be protected?

HA HA HA.

The Department does not dig such rhetorical questions.

Ludwig said...

The archaeology department guys have been watching Eddie Izzard!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6y-jn6jGbM