Treasures - and the Special Police Unit

The rapine of the country's artefacts continues unabated. It looks that the plunders have reduced those who are responsible for protecting the cultural heritage to a group mere spectators.

The latest incident of plundering of artefacts is once again reported from Polonnaruwa, where the foundation of an ancient stupa in the precincts of the world famous Thivanka Pilimage was razed by treasure hunters.

The incidence of these acts of plundering has reached such heights that it is difficult to discern whether they are acts of treasure hunters or the manifestation of a sinister plan to wipe out the traces of the country's 2,500 year old history as was attempted by the invading armies in the past.

In doing what they did to this stupa near Thivanka, the treasure hunters or whoever masterminded the pillage have clearly routed the grandiose plan that the government announced the other day to protect the ancient monuments. A special police unit, we were told, had been set up. But it is sad that the appointments to this unit have yet to be made. And treasure hunters are having a field day.

Polonnaruwa is of crucial importance to Sri Lankans especially to Buddhists. It was the kingdom of legendary king Parakramabahu the Great, under whose rule the country prospered. It was also the capital of Sri Lanka 800 years ago. And scattered all over or buried beneath this ancient city lies a great deal of works of art by our forebears.

Thivanka Pilimage, in whose vicinity this dastardly act of plunder was committed, stands out as a symbol of talents and skills ancient Sri Lankans displayed in art and architecture. The epic grandeur and baroque exuberance of the murals in the Thivanka sanctum is well known to archaeologists and artists the world over.

The Island has on several occasions exposed what is going on in Polonnaruwa in the name of archaeological excavation. Our writer who visited the site of Thivanka Pilimage, had to masquerade as a research associate involved with a study on monkeys in the area to file the story as the security guards there had been instructed by the authorities not to allow pressmen to enter the site. And he observed inter alia : " ... There are pits dug by inexperienced workers supervised by contractors and they call this kind of digging archaeological excavation."

What the archaeological pundits in air conditioned comfort in Colombo – not the Commissioner of Archaeology who has been frank and forthright in his comments on what is going on – have failed to realise is that to employ workers in such numbers to do excavation is to invite trouble. For vital information pertaining to these historic monuments would possibly pass on to unwanted parties through one or two unscrupulous labourers or contractors for that matter.

No attempt is made here to tar all of them with a single brush stroke. But extreme care should be taken in selecting workers to work on these sites.

Purloining of artefacts is not so uncommon in excavations sites. There are many in this society who easily succumb to the lure of filthy lucre. Hence, the need for precautions and to exercise strict vigilance in respect of archaeological sites.

There are also thousands amongst us who are driven by myths. The so-called Nidan Vadula : a fabled ancient book said to contain details of hidden treasures is still looked upon by many as the ultimate guide in matters related to hidden treasures. Why so many are on pursuit of such treasures could also be explained in the light of the surfeit of folklores spun round these fabled treasures and their ignorance of stone inscriptions which they often mistake for something having to do with treasures. tucked away in the places where there have been erected.

In a recent television interview an attempt was made to destroy these myths by archaeologists. It is praiseworthy and should be repeated in order to convince those who have been misled, of their folly.

Heightening awareness however is not the solution to the problem of removal of artefacts such as statues and guardstones as reported recently. Here arises the need for the law enforcement authorities to take stern action against the culprits and the law makers to introduce new legislation so that they can be dealt with appropriately. The Department or Archaeology should also be given more teeth in terms of personnel and allocated more funds for the purpose.

Public participation is also a sine qua non in realising this goal. Without cooperation of the people all other measures are likely to come a cropper.