KC Joseph comes under fire of historians

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Culture Minister K. C. Joseph has drawn flak from historians for neglecting archives and the archaeology department.  

“Joseph is busy sorting out the  squabbles in the Congress instead of bringing back the lost glory of the department,” said a historian. He alleged that Mr Joseph, the trusted lieutenant of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy,  had  not bothered to bring out a catalogue on Chinese coins that were collected from Kollam. 

“The  archaeology department staff  lack the required expertise,” said another historian. Though the archaeology department had done the excavation at Pattanam site at Kodungalloor and published the report, it remains out of bounds for the people.

Similarly, the department is yet to come out with a catalogue on the excavation of Chinese coins done in  Kollam early last year.  

An amateur numismatist Beena Sarasan had produced an attractive monograph entitled 'Chinese cash in Ku-lin - Vestiges of Kollam's maritime history.’

“It is  unfortunate that the  archaeology department has done nothing so far on the Chinese coins. Just like undertaking financial auditing, the culture department should initiate an ‘achievement auditing’ too. But  all the culture-related programmes are happening in  Joseph’s constituency and officials under him have no time but to please him,”  said a historian.

Ms. Sarasan,  who had retired as deputy commissioner of Income Tax,  has catalogued all the available coins and given a scholarly analysis of the significance of each of the coins in her book.  Historian M. G. Shashibhooshan lamented how the archaeology department had ignored  an Onam special magazine.

Mr Joseph, culture secretary Rani George or archaeology director Dr. G. Prem Kumar were not available for comments.