![]() As part of this initiative, we are working on creating and maintaining an active network of localised archives across the region. The aim is to garner greater recognition of the individual archives, as well as the importance of archiving in general. The ever-growing online database listing private archives and collections of Southasia is a rich resource, especially for historians, scholars, researchers and students. |
There are a number of perspectives and interpretations on the histories of the Subcontinent. The various archives found in different parts of the Subcontinent serve as important means of understanding and appreciating regional history. Archives Southasia emerged from Hri’s commitment to highlighting the importance of archiving and garnering greater recognition of the individual archives.
Even as the importance of historical and social archiving is beginning to be recognised in Southasia today, it would be fair to say that the immense importance of archives for the overall advancement of society is not recognised. Moreover, the resources set aside to undertake this important activity of collecting and cataloguing documentation are largely limited to government-run national or state archives, the running of which is ‘politicised’ across the region. Meanwhile, historical records at the district level or lower, whether governmental or private are almost wholly neglected.
To bring these crucial stores of historical information to the fore, we are working on connecting a number of private collections across the region. The purpose of bringing these archives together is manifold. To begin with, none of these scattered private collections have any link with each other today. The direct consequence of this isolation is the fact that all the source material remains underutilised, if at all used. The link between the archives will also create spaces for cross-border fellowships of archivists, among other exchanges, to take place, thus recreating the past social, academic and economic exchanges that took place in the region in the past.
As a first step, we began listing the various private archives and collections of Southasia, listed in the Archives Southasia Database on its website; this is an on-going process aimed at being a useful service, especially for research in Southasia. Hri also organised the first-ever meeting of archivists from across the region, which acted as a unique platform to work toward ensuring that archives do not become morgues. Archivists, scholars and collectors from Bangalore, Chennai, Dhaka, Ernakulum, Kathmandu, Kolkata, Lahore,Mumbai, New Delhi and Yangon, shared experiences and valuable insights on the possibilities of making archives dynamic spaces to not only re-look at history, but redefine it.
Inspired by the rich diversity and depth of experience and knowledge in the group, we hope to continue the work and facilitate more exchanges in the future.
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Booths and Ballots
Ephemera from the 1959 first general election and the 1980 plebiscite – rare images from the Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya collection as showcased in the Hri travelling exhibition
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Mega Pixel Memories from Panjab
Rare images from the Panjab Digital Library collection as showcased in the Hri travelling exhibition
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State of Archiving in Southasia
Sharing the last set of articles from the online series 'Archives of Southasia'; first published in Himal Southasian quarterly
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Saving Public Archives
Sharing the second set of articles from the online series 'Archives of Southasia'; first published in Himal Southasian quarterly.
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Turning over old leaves
If palm leaf inscriptions can be saved from destruction, they can paint vivid pictures of the history of the Syrian Christians in Kerala.
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Archives Southasia Database lists more than 470 collections across eight countries in Southasia (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka). These are spread over more than 40 categories, and several sub-categories.
Browse Database
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8 December 2015 |
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Fernando Botero’s contribution to the city of Medellin is not just the very
13 October 2015 |
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The Judicial Historical Archives allows a peek into centuries-old notions of
10 September 2015 |
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9 September 2015 |
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Nepal is still reeling with shocks and aftershocks after the earthquake on 25th
26 April 2015 |
"Hri" - a sound or a vibration, the utterance of which awakens the empathy that is an inherent part of every sentient being. Regionalism must no longer remain a prisoner of platitude, since there is a consensus that geopolitical friction, poverty and pressing environmental issues as well as cultural and social dislocation must be addressed through the regional framework. There is a need to revive and energise discussions of regionalism on the platform of mainstream politics, public information and research, with a dynamic Southasian sensibility.
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