indology mss.

[DR.S.KALYANARAMAN]

> On Sun, 30 Nov 1997, Bijoy Misra responded to  Michael Witzel:
> THAT is how one could respect India's heritage. Not by TALKING,
> however fashionable.
>
>I agree people have to get more serious to be protected against
>being "rescued".  I will do my bit.

>To build a repository in Bhubaneswar is a good idea.
>I will contact people there and pursue the idea.

>But on the point in question, the assumed guardianship of material>
>on "rescue" missions should be abandoned.  One very easily sees
>the shallowness of such missions.  I agree that the conditions
>in the subcontinent are not the greatest, but it's reasonable
>to speculate that the material would survive longer than anything
>else on the planet.  Don't people agree?

I do not know if it is right for Nepal Govt. to demand a price...
Maybe, both Nepal and India Govts. should demand that world citizens/
american universities and other institutions should help UNESCO preserve
the ancient mss. as world heritage documents, just as world heritage
sites are sought to be preserved as national monuments...

Maybe the developed country institutions can do a lot more in making
the docs. available freely on the internet as UPEnn is attempting to
do...

Sarasvati Sindhu Research Centre, Chennai will be willing to digitize
and 'webbify' in cooperation with librarires... Internet has the
potential to be used by indologists as the indology library on demand.
<I will post later on a new website>

I agree with Bijoy; 'rescue' is not the bon mot. It can be replaced by
'preserve, protect and disseminate'.

Regards,
Kalyanaraman