The security at Hyderabad airport was unusually tight on November 9. There was palpable excitement among the officials lined up to receive a very special consignment—the much-awaited homecoming of the world-famous Nizam's jewels. They are finally back to where they once belonged, ostensibly for a two-month exhibition starting November 24. But will Hyderabad be allowed to permanently display its legacy?
For over a year now, Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu has been exercising his considerable political clout in New Delhi to persuade the government to let him have the jewels, which the Indian government acquired from the heirs of the erstwhile rulers of Hyderabad in 1995. Representatives of the state government have been trying to persuade the ministry of culture to return the jewels to the city.
The concerted effort has finally paid off, confirms the CM's office. The issue was raised during Naidu's meeting with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on October 28, where a senior official of the department of culture too was present. Given Hyderabad's historical association with the collection, Vajpayee, claims a Naidu aide who was also there at the meeting, reportedly agreed that it made perfect sense to keep the jewels there.
The central government had in fact agreed in principle to hand over the jewels once owned by the Asaf Jah dynasty to Hyderabad almost a year ago. But the culture clique in New Delhi had been raising serious reservations about the idea. The National Museum, which refused to hand over the jewels to anyone till it held its own exhibition last month, was particularly alarmed that this could lead to other states demanding the return of artefacts they perceived to be part of their historical legacy.
Even now, while National Museum officials concede that the department of culture has the sole right to decide where the jewels are kept since they are the property of the government, they are non-committal about their future. "This is now a national treasure so a future dispensation could decide to relocate them again," says Dr R.D. Choudhury, director of the National Museum.
But local art historians believe there is every reason to keep the jewels here permanently as one of the key reasons for setting up a state or site museum is to generate greater civic pride in people about their own historical legacies. According to Dr Mohan Lal Nigam, former director of the Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad's historical association with the 173-piece collection runs deeper than just the fact that it belonged to the city's former rulers. Most of the diamonds in this collection, except for notable exceptions like the Jacob Diamond, were mined from the Golconda mines. "More importantly, this collection showcases the unique craftsmanship of our local jewellers and goldsmiths," says Dr Nigam.
The Salar Jung Museum has already spent some Rs 2.5 crore on the exhibition which opens next week. Security has been beefed up and the museum is regarded as the most logical choice to house a permanent exhibition of the Nizam's jewels. But the Nizam's family has also offered the use of its Chowmohalla Palace near the Charminar.
They claim that as the jewels were originally housed in Chowmohalla, it would make far more sense to keep them there again. "The Salar Jung Museum has become the Salar Junk museum given the things it has been acquiring over the last few years and most importantly it has no historical connection with the Nizam's jewels," says the advisor to the Nizam's Trust, Mohammed Safiullah.
Others, however, feel that the Nizam's family forfeited any claims to be associated with the jewels after it was prepared to hive off the collection to the highest bidder in 1995. Christie's had valued the collection at £135 million and people like the Agha Khan, the Sultan of Brunei and shipping tycoon Stravos Niarchos were among those interested in owning the collection.
But fortunately, the jewels were prevented from leaving the country following a hurried intervention by the Supreme Court, which allowed the Indian government to acquire the jewels for a much more modest Rs 218 crore. Now to see who retains the right to display them.