The missing Buddha

The board of trustees of Indian Museum will hold an emergency meeting with its chairman, Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi, on January 20 to discuss a security beef-up, following the theft of the Buddha head on December 29.

Apart from members of the museum?s committee on internal security, set up last November, the Union secretary of the department of culture, Neena Ranjan, will be present at the meeting.

?There appear to be certain aberrations in the security system that is in place now. The problem with Indian Museum, compared to others, including National Museum in New Delhi, appears to be with the exits,? Ranjan said.

?There are too many exit points and we need to ponder over this seriously. But prior to making any structural changes, the air-conditioning system needs to be redone,? Ranjan added.

Besides checking the exit points, more security guards will be posted. ?The strength of the personnel guarding some galleries, including the Archaeology Long Gallery and the Minor Art Gallery, has been beefed up for now,? said a museum employee.

The issue of corresponding with the V&A in London on the theft of the Buddha head, too, is set to come up for discussion at the meeting.

The V&A authorities had, through The Telegraph, offered to collaborate and share information with Indian Museum on ways to improve security in India?s oldest museum.

?It?s wonderful to know that the V&A has offered help and we will be only too happy to receive any cooperation from them,? said Shakti Kali Basu, Indian Museum director.

?It?s just not the Gupta period alone. The museum has been keen on Indian civilisation on the whole. We will discuss this issue at the meeting, before getting back to them. Our prime concern is recovery of the stolen object,? he added.