20000109

Lahore Museum

needs govt's

attention

LAHORE: The building of Lahore Museum, more than 100 years old, is in bad shape as it suffers from compounded problems like seepage, leakage, termite and is in need of early restoration.

However, faced with a 10 percent budgetary cut and extra funds are needed for the restoration of the building.

In the wake of this situation the management is actively considering formation of an NGO Ñ 'Friends of Lahore Museum' that will pool funds for the repairs direly needed in the building.

The management has pointed out new sections for which material is already available with the Museum. The new envisioned sections include:

Ethnological wealth of Pakistan; Modern Art and Craft, Pakistan; Freedom Struggle Hall; separate sections on Central Asia, Far East, China, Middle East and Africa collection; Children gallery and other recreational-cum-educational activities for children.

The Museum awaits a grant of Rs 0.2 million which will be used for computerisation of the entire record of Museum.

The physical verification of all the artifacts of Lahore Museum, which began in 1998 October, is in its final stages.

The next step will be its computerisation with substantial specification. The computerisation will be on scientific lines including graphics of each item as well.

The physical verification was done thrice before but it lacked in substantial details and proved inadequate as numerous antiquities in different collections have been lying without proper registration and documentation.

The old-fashioned, out-dated display mode also needs to be updated besides, completing the display for the cultural history of the country.

The government should be mindful that museums have tremendous educational value and further enhancing the entrace fee will make it farther from the access to common man and students.ÑAPP