Amid growing concerns over Chandigarh's iconic heritage furniture appearing in overseas auctions, the spotlight has now shifted to the precarious state of a vast collection housed within Panjab University (PU). The university is custodian to over 4,000 pieces of this protected furniture, distributed across its sprawling campus.
A Legacy in Peril: Widespread Neglect on Campus
Recent observations across the PU campus reveal a troubling picture. While some of the heritage furniture, originally designed in the 1950s as part of Chandigarh's foundational institutional furnishings, remains in daily use, a significant portion is suffering from damage and improper storage. A large number of chairs, desks, and stools are found stacked away in departmental storerooms, common storage areas, and unused rooms.
These items have been seen lying exposed and unused in locations including storage areas near Boys Hostel 2 and 3, and the anthropology department store room. The standard of upkeep varies widely, as responsibility is delegated to individual department chairpersons and hostel wardens, leading to inconsistent care dependent on local monitoring and space availability.
History of Thefts and Security Lapses
Concerns over safeguarding this heritage are not new. The university has been plagued by a series of thefts and missing items in recent years. In a major incident in September 2018, a consignment of 14 heritage chairs was intercepted at Delhi airport, with reports indicating one chair was traced back to the PU library.
The situation escalated in November 2020 when over 100 heritage furniture items were reported missing from the campus during a verification drive, prompting police complaints and an internal inquiry. In the same month, the sociology department specifically reported 48 heritage chairs stolen, leading to arrests and eventual recovery of all chairs. More recently, in April 2023, the PU Syndicate approved penal action against a staff member of Boys Hostel No. 5 for the unauthorized removal of a heritage table without any official record.
Administrative Challenges and Call for Action
University records indicate the AC Joshi Library holds a significant concentration of this heritage furniture, with the rest spread across academic departments, hostels, and administrative offices. Despite being protected under a Ministry of Home Affairs order from February 22, 2011—which restricts movement outside India and regulates transfers—the sheer scale and spread of the collection pose a consistent challenge for uniform protection.
PU Vice-Chancellor Prof Renu Vig emphasized that accountability must be firmly fixed. "All chairpersons of departments and wardens are responsible for the heritage furniture under their control. These items are part of Panjab University's legacy and must be handled accordingly," she stated. She added that the university plans to reissue strict instructions to ensure that no heritage furniture is discarded or kept in unsafe, inappropriate conditions.
The ongoing issues at Panjab University underscore the broader difficulties in preserving Chandigarh's architectural and design heritage, highlighting the urgent need for a centralized, robust monitoring system to protect these invaluable assets from neglect and theft.
