Chandigarh: Portraits of India's freedom struggle lie framed in neglect

Hindustan Times

2 days ago

Lying forgotten in the basement of the TS Central State Library, Sector 17, the National Gallery of Portraits, a tribute to India's freedom struggle, is crying for attention. Despite free entry and its location in the heart of the city, the faded panels, defunct audio-visual equipment and peeling walls in the stuffy basement keep visitors away from the gallery, last renovated in 2007. (HT Photo)
Opened in 1977, the gallery houses 41 panels of oil paintings and murals, and sculptures of national leaders, tracing the country's fight for independence from the 1700s to the 1900s. But today, it stands as a crumbling reflection of official apathy, passed on from department to department, yet left abandoned and deprived of even basic upkeep.
As a result, despite its location in the heart of Chandigarh and free entry, the gallery barely draws visitors. On Saturday, operational between 10 am and 5 pm, the gallery saw only one visitor by 3 pm.
The exhibits narrate India's freedom movement — from the first war of independence in 1857 and the Ghadar movement in the early 1900s, to the non-cooperation campaigns of 1920, the Quit India Movement in 1942, and the mutinies and massacres in Punjab at that time.
The gallery was initially managed by the UT department of higher education before being transferred to the department of cultural affairs in 2007, when it was renovated and re-inaugurated by then UT administrator Gen SF Rodrigues (retd).
Recently, the department of cultural affairs passed the baton back to the higher education department, but there has been no news of the gallery's revival.
The appalling decay is felt the moment one steps in. A musty, stagnant smell in the basement welcomes visitors, exacerbated by the lack of air conditioning. On the left side of the entrance, an audio-visual corner has been lying defunct for more than a year.
A sign still promises free guided tours at 11 am and 3 pm and movie screenings every Sunday, but none have been held in recent memory.
Peeling walls in the gallery further paint a picture of neglect. Worse, every monsoon, the basement gets flooded with rainwater. Only recently did the engineering department install a pump to drain the water.
A book shelf offering literature on the freedom movement was damaged due to dampness and recurring waterlogging, while the books fell prey to termite infestation.
Staffing, too, has dwindled. Compared to 7-8 permanent employees, including a gallery in-charge, education officer, librarian, clerk, peon and watchman, the gallery now runs on just three contractual workers. No recruitments were done after the permanent staff retired.
'The cultural affairs department often left the maintenance to the library since the gallery lies within its premises,' said an official on condition of anonymity.
Isha Kamboj, director of the Government Museum and Art Gallery, Sector 10, declined to comment, stating the charge had been transferred. On the higher education department's part, Rubinderjit Singh Brar, director of higher education, said, 'Around two weeks ago, we received communication that the department of cultural affairs is handing over the gallery to higher education. We will look into it and take appropriate action.'
Until then, the stories of freedom struggle will continue to fade quietly, unheard and unseen.