ANANDPUR SAHIB: Sometimes words speak louder than actions.
Geetika Kalha, the CEO of the Anandpur Sahib Foundation (ASF) and principal secretary, Punjab tourism and cultural affairs. admits that the Khalsa Heritage Complex (KHC) — which she is in charge of – is "in an absolute mess."
She's right.
The Akali-led Punjab government's most ambitious project to showcase Sikh heritage and culture. touted as the ajooba or the eighth wonder, is floundering.
With leading international museum and heritage professionals expressing their inability to work with the state bureaucracy, the Rs.365 Crore museum complex at Anandpur Sahib in Punjab's Rupnagar district is at risk of becoming a failed bureaucracy-driven experiment.
Kalha has not been able to retain proessionals after inviting them to carry out the project work but not delegating them powers to do the job.
Punjab finance minister Upinderjit Kaur is the president of the AF'S, and state chief secretary SC Agrawal and finance secretary MIS Sidhu are its members.
Upinderjit after taking over as finance minister from Manpreet Badal claimed that the first phase of the KHC would be open to public viewing by July 30.
That’s clearly not going to happen.
Kalha herself says she cannot commit to any deadline for opening of the first phase. She even refused to give Hindustan Times permission to visit the project site.
"How can I let you go there when it is in absolute mess? I would have let you visit the complex even if 50% of work was complete; she said. "Now there are only structures and scaffoldings, hence it's no point visiting the site otherwise you will only give a negative projection to the project"
She also contests the total cost of the complex. "The cost of the project is only Rs 224 crore, which might have now gone up to Rs. 250 crore because of the delay in completion." she said. "We have already spent Rs. 214 crore on it."
DEADLINE? WHAT’S THAT?
Situated in the foothills of Shivalik range at Anandpur Sahib. the museum was conceived to project the history., culture and glory of Sikhs. It was meant to introduce visitors to Punjab, the (building of the Sikh faith, life and teachings of the ten Gurus and the birth of the Khalsa. The exhibits would use metaphors, symbolism. expanded adaptations of miniature paintings, murals, installations. vignettes and multimedia projection techniques to celebrate a living tradition of Sikhism.
But only an unfinished, lifeless concrete structure stands on the 100 acres earmarked for the site.
Conceived by the Boston-based lead architect Moshe Sadie in 1997, the foundation stone for the project was laid by the NM Maras (men symbolizing the five ‘beloved devotees’ of Guru Gobind Singh) on November 22. 1998. Engineering major Larsen and Toubro took up the job of building the structure.
But the deadlines for the opening have been continuously shifting, with mismanaged attempts to open the facility in 2001, 2005. 2006, 2009, 2010 — and now 2011
Since the exhibit design for the first phase is not complete, and phase 2 has not taken off, it is unlikely to be complete by 2013 or even 2014 given the scale of work remaining. According to the original plan, both phases should have been completed by March 2010.
A WASTE OF TALENT
Los Angeles based Kristin Ann Kelly, from the J. Paul Getty Trust, who was the chief museum consultant for the KHC project, and who has nearly 20 years of experience in museum administration, resigned from the ASF in August.
Similarly, the Smithsonian trained George Jacob, who has more than 23 years of museum experience, was hired in January last year as founding director of the KHC for five years. But his contract was terminated eight months later without being given any reason. The Punjab and Haryana high court came to his rescue and restored the benefits due to him.
Among Jacob's stellar projects is the directorship of production of the original Star Spangled Banner permanent exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington DC.
Kalha blames former Punjab finance minister Manpreet Badal for removing him. Jacob, however, refuted her vetsion, and said she was responsible for his ouster.
Kelly, who was instrumental in bringing Jacob on board, said she was not consulted before he was removed. She said she could not see herself continuing with the KHC, as there was no one in position of authority in Chandigarh she could trust. Damningly, she said she was not sure if anyone in Punjab actually cared about the institution. "I was silly and naive to believe that the Punjab government wanted to do something new and world-class," she said.
With world-class talent fast depleting from the project, Kalha has been persuading Kelly to come back on board.
During a visit in December, Moshe Safdie, the Boston based chief architect of the KIR project, was reportedly furious to notice modifications in the original design at the entrance. The world- famous architect and urban designer even threatened to take up the matter with chief minister Parkash Singh Badal. He was also upset at the unceremonious ouster of Jacob.
Pancham Singh, the Manager of security and in charge of visitors’ services at the KHC, who has spent 16 years at the Los Angeles J. Paul Getty Museum, is also thinking of quitting as he was unhappy with the accommodation provided to him by the state government.