It is actually a tough job for the Supreme Court-recommended five-member expert committee to assess the treasures that found recently in secret cellars of the famous Sri Padmanabha Swamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram .
First of all they have to identify all gold and diamond ornaments and weigh them accurately to find its present value because activists like Sukumar Azhikode admit only its material value. The Committee have to approach international appraisers to evaluate its antique value which is often a hundred or thousand times greater than the material value. This I say because one sword of Tippu Sultan which was in possession by else who, was purchased for India by liquor baron Vijay Mallya by giving up a good fortune he amassed by making thousands of boozers inside the country.
The second matter is manual work and time needed for lifting and weighing the ornaments. If Kerala workers are asked to do this job it will end up nowhere. And if other state-workers are employed a huge sum should be paid as nokkukooli for Kerala trade union members.
Once the panel has declared the antique value for the articles chances for bidding them at higher price cannot be ruled out. The videographing and photographing of the articles would also cost much. The documentation agency should also claim a bit. And where this assessment ends up is no man’s guess.
K A Solaman
Published. The Deccan Chronicle on 2-8-2011
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