Treasures of history

There has been no response from the Central Government over the disclosure by Kashmir historian Muhammad Yousug Teng that he knows the place where bronze shield of Kanishka’s period containing deliberations of first Buddhist Conference held in Kashmir were buried. A rich heritage which is not being preserved by the Government and also has no faith on New Delhi if anything new was added to the list of rich ancient treasures.

Teng has been associated very closely with the treasures of Kashmir and he has in the past also told media that during 1947 tribal raid in Kashmir, Gilgat manuscripts were shifted to Delhi after then Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru persuaded late Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah that otherwise they may be smuggled across border by raiders.  Teng has said that he is witness to the fact that the matter was taken up with New Delhi many times in the past, but those manuscripts were not returned to J&K State.

Teng has asked for guarantees by the Central Government to the fact that if he discloses the place, the treasure of the Buddhist period would not be shifted to Delhi. Lack of response from the Central Government so far has shown that there is no guarantee that if those pieces of rich heritage are retrieved from the undisclosed place, they would not be kept in Kashmir.

In Harwan area of Srinagar on outskirts, Archeological Survey of India has already preserved the site where it is believed that 4th International Buddhist Conference was held. It is also believed that at the same place a world famous Buddhist Monk Nagarjuna has stayed for years to contemplate. In the site all the material like the tiles and some marks of that period and some Buddhist idols have already been taken to New Delhi by Archeological Survey of India. Such material has never been returned to Kashmir, although we have state of art modern museum available in Kashmir Valley at Lal Mandi.