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India's Manuscript Treasure Faces Staffing Crisis
4 Jan
Summary
- Institute has only 8 of 45 sanctioned posts filled.
- Nearly 25,000 rare manuscripts are at risk of deterioration.
- Centrally-funded status could modernize infrastructure and preservation.
The Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Arabic-Persian Research Institute (APRI) in Tonk, Rajasthan, is grappling with a critical staffing shortage, jeopardizing its vast collection of nearly 25,000 Urdu, Arabic, and Persian manuscripts. Established in 1978, the institute, which holds treasures dating back centuries, currently has only 8 out of 45 sanctioned posts filled, with more retirements imminent. This dire situation hinders essential cataloging and digitization efforts, impacting scholars, including international visitors.
Scholars express grave concern that the lack of trained staff and adequate conservation measures could lead to the permanent destruction of irreplaceable manuscripts. These documents, some originating from the 13th century and encompassing diverse subjects from religion to classical Indian scholarship, risk crumbling due to neglect. The potential loss extends beyond texts, threatening a vital link to shared intellectual history.
Recognition as a centrally-funded institution is seen as a potential solution to modernize infrastructure, enhance preservation, and revive stalled academic projects. Cultural groups and scholars are urgently appealing to the government to appoint a director and fill vacant positions, emphasizing that APRI is a treasure for global scholarship requiring immediate attention.
