Culture Minister Jaipal Reddy does not seem to have been able to impress the Left with his brand of ‘‘slow’’ detoxification. The main resolution drawn up at the end of the Indian History Congress today demanded a thorough overhaul of the Archaeological Survey of India that is under his ministry’s jurisdiction. It does not mention anyone by name but it is obvious Reddy is being asked to do the needful and deliver the ASI from the hands of the bureaucrats.Reddy has just stemmed an onslaught from intellectuals aligned with the CPI(M) on the issue of his ‘‘not caring enough’’ about Hindi writer Munshi Premchand’s 125th birth anniversary. The Left has been privately critical of Reddy’s cautious approach to the entire process of ‘‘weeding out vestiges of the previous government’s partial and motivated cultural policies’’.In fact, the resolution says the ASI has become steeped in mediocrity since the days the top job — that of the director — was handed over to the bureaucrat almost 15 years ago. The resolution says: ‘‘One cannot but express alarm at the fact that for well over a decade the ASI has not been headed by an archaeologist, but has had only temporary civil service officials assigned to it as directors general. The ASI has thus been deprived at the very top, of any element of expert supervision, scientific vision or long-term planning, all of which are necessary if the ASI has to come out of its current stupor.’’Historians want the IAS officer out of the top job and a professional archaeologist of repute to take over. They say there should be a parliamentary legislation if this can not be ensured by the existing laws. Says Prof P.K. Shukla, member-secretary of the Indian Council of Historical Research: ‘‘Till about 15 years ago, the directors general were men and women of great professional standing. The resolution demands ‘‘scientific rigour and accountability’’ be brought back in the ASI’s research and excavation.
