By: Alamgirkhan
My knowledge and understanding of Buddha and Buddhism has its bases in the discussions my father had with my younger brothers and me when I was six or seven years of age. We would go withour father for evening walk daily. On the way we would see two carved Buddha’son a rock beside the road. They were about two feet in size. That is the firstever impression of Buddha in my memory. On another occasion my father took usto visit the Buddhist remains at Gulkada. My father would tell us what thesestructures were and who was Buddha.
I still remember how much I likedthose two small carved Buddha’s on the rock and the patterns made of stones onthe Stupas at Gulkada. I showed them to my friends with great excitement. Iwanted to know more about them. I liked the walls made of stones with beautifuland unique designs. I wanted to express in words what I felt about theseunusual structures. I wanted to analyze and criticize them like experts do onTV. But I had no solid notion of what they really were about; it was rathertheir form that fascinated me most.
Unfortunately I couldn’t givemuch thought to them because I had to give most of my time to my school studiesand I had no subjects related to cultural or historical heritage there. Withthe passage of time newer and newer subjects were occupying my mind. Still Iread a few books on Buddha and sometimes getting a chance to visit some otherBuddhist remains in Swat Valley.
As a result of these intermittentstudies and tours I came to realize certain ideas about the condition ofBuddhist remains in the valley and the attitude of the People and statedepartments towards them.
They are not safe from personsinvolved in the antiques- business. They search these sites for coins, pots andother remains. What is unearthed is further sold to other business men atnational and international level. So a lot of evidences that may have beenhelpful in understanding and unlocking the mystery of these remains andcompiling the authentic history of those ancient people are going into illegalhands and scattered places around the world.
Moreover no serious excavationefforts have been seen during the last forty years or so after merger of Swatstate with Pakistan. I have seen several partially unearthed sites in thevalley but I have neither read about them anywhere nor heard their names indocumentaries on ancient remains. So they are in even more danger of beingdefaced as people may think they are not recorded in the lists of theauthorities concerned.
Along with the structuralpreservation of these remains what is of more importance and urgency to me isshaping the attitude of the common people towards them.
At present the common man ofthese areas does not have a friendly and tolerant understanding of what allthese remains and monuments are about. They have got the wrong notion fromsomewhere that these strange or odd structures represent idolatry. They namethem as Butkhana and da kafiro korona meaning infidels-houses.And so they think it as their religious duty to demolish them.
Thus beside illegal diggers thisattitude of the people is posing greater threat to the safety of these remains.It is often heard that Mr. so and so has found idols, statues, while constructinghis house and has then destroyed them. There are innumerable instances of suchacts throughout Gandhara region.
The need is that the common manshould be made realize that these are not mere idols but sacred religious monumentsof the people of that faith. And that they must give protection and honor tothem as they desire for their own religious monuments elsewhere in the world.This shift in people’s attitude if brought about will hopefully be more beneficialthan the safety measures taken by the archeology department.
Things were going in the rightdirection though when Swat was still a state. “The taking out of the state anyantiquities of ancient Buddhist sculptures is strictly forbidden”, writes Mr.George Getley in his book, SWATSwitzerland of the East published about 1960. And a museum had been establishedby the ruler of the state for these remains.
The question is that how to bringthis change. The answer is through Teachers and Parents. These two are theforces having great influence on the minds of the common man. In my own case Ihave a tolerant view of the Buddhist remains just because of what my fathertold me about them. And if supported byMedia the results may be more rapid and lasting.
To preserve these ancient remainsand promote interfaith harmony the governments of the countries having Buddhistfollowers in the majority should play a more active role in negotiating thismatter with the government of Pakistan and other non government actors. Thiswill be a great contribution to world peace and international understanding.
My knowledge and understanding of Buddha and Buddhism has its bases in the discussions my father had with my younger brothers and me when I was six or seven years of age. We would go withour father for evening walk daily. On the way we would see two carved Buddha’son a rock beside the road. They were about two feet in size. That is the firstever impression of Buddha in my memory. On another occasion my father took usto visit the Buddhist remains at Gulkada. My father would tell us what thesestructures were and who was Buddha.
I still remember how much I likedthose two small carved Buddha’s on the rock and the patterns made of stones onthe Stupas at Gulkada. I showed them to my friends with great excitement. Iwanted to know more about them. I liked the walls made of stones with beautifuland unique designs. I wanted to express in words what I felt about theseunusual structures. I wanted to analyze and criticize them like experts do onTV. But I had no solid notion of what they really were about; it was rathertheir form that fascinated me most.
Unfortunately I couldn’t givemuch thought to them because I had to give most of my time to my school studiesand I had no subjects related to cultural or historical heritage there. Withthe passage of time newer and newer subjects were occupying my mind. Still Iread a few books on Buddha and sometimes getting a chance to visit some otherBuddhist remains in Swat Valley.
As a result of these intermittentstudies and tours I came to realize certain ideas about the condition ofBuddhist remains in the valley and the attitude of the People and statedepartments towards them.
Najigram
Most of the Buddhist sites inSwat Valley are not fully excavated yet. Though work on them was started duringthe State era about 1950. After their discovery in that time they are leftunguarded. There are no boundary walls or fences round them. At most onewatchman is appointed for their safety. But one watchman is not sufficient careto save them.They are not safe from personsinvolved in the antiques- business. They search these sites for coins, pots andother remains. What is unearthed is further sold to other business men atnational and international level. So a lot of evidences that may have beenhelpful in understanding and unlocking the mystery of these remains andcompiling the authentic history of those ancient people are going into illegalhands and scattered places around the world.
Moreover no serious excavationefforts have been seen during the last forty years or so after merger of Swatstate with Pakistan. I have seen several partially unearthed sites in thevalley but I have neither read about them anywhere nor heard their names indocumentaries on ancient remains. So they are in even more danger of beingdefaced as people may think they are not recorded in the lists of theauthorities concerned.
Along with the structuralpreservation of these remains what is of more importance and urgency to me isshaping the attitude of the common people towards them.
At present the common man ofthese areas does not have a friendly and tolerant understanding of what allthese remains and monuments are about. They have got the wrong notion fromsomewhere that these strange or odd structures represent idolatry. They namethem as Butkhana and da kafiro korona meaning infidels-houses.And so they think it as their religious duty to demolish them.
Thus beside illegal diggers thisattitude of the people is posing greater threat to the safety of these remains.It is often heard that Mr. so and so has found idols, statues, while constructinghis house and has then destroyed them. There are innumerable instances of suchacts throughout Gandhara region.
The need is that the common manshould be made realize that these are not mere idols but sacred religious monumentsof the people of that faith. And that they must give protection and honor tothem as they desire for their own religious monuments elsewhere in the world.This shift in people’s attitude if brought about will hopefully be more beneficialthan the safety measures taken by the archeology department.
Things were going in the rightdirection though when Swat was still a state. “The taking out of the state anyantiquities of ancient Buddhist sculptures is strictly forbidden”, writes Mr.George Getley in his book, SWATSwitzerland of the East published about 1960. And a museum had been establishedby the ruler of the state for these remains.
The question is that how to bringthis change. The answer is through Teachers and Parents. These two are theforces having great influence on the minds of the common man. In my own case Ihave a tolerant view of the Buddhist remains just because of what my fathertold me about them. And if supported byMedia the results may be more rapid and lasting.
To preserve these ancient remainsand promote interfaith harmony the governments of the countries having Buddhistfollowers in the majority should play a more active role in negotiating thismatter with the government of Pakistan and other non government actors. Thiswill be a great contribution to world peace and international understanding.
