HC orders shifting of Tamil inscriptions from Mysuru to Chennai

Chennai: The Madras High Court has directed the State government to create/establish within six months, a separate office of Epigraphy Branch (Tamil) here, on the lines of a similar facility for Arabic and Persian Inscriptions at Nagpur in Maharashtra.

This would facilitate the transfer of the Tamil inscriptions and estampages to Chennai from Mysuru, a bench of Justice N Kirubakaran (since retired) and Justice M Duraiswamy said in a recent order.
The authorities concerned shall transfer all the estampages and other connected Tamil documents and inscriptions to Southern Zone Epigraphy branch here or to the proposed separate Office of Epigraphy Branch (Tamil), within six months, it ruled.

The Archaeological Survey of India shall appoint the required number of Epigraphists and other officials according to the number of inscriptions in each language. The government shall provide all the infrastructural facilities for the purpose of using the newly created or converted Epigraphy Branch (Tamil), as per the order of the court within six months.

The Central government and the ASI shall allocate more funds for Epigraphy division of ASI for Research and Preservation of Estampages and other materials.
The bench gave these directions while allowing a PIL petition from P Manimaran, on the issue.

It said the shifting would provide accessibility to the students and research scholars in Chennai. The researchers on History and culture of Tamil Nadu can easily access the estampages at Chennai, as Mysuru is far away and expensive. Senior retired Epigraphists pertaining to Tamil inscriptions are available only in Tamil Nadu and it is easy for the researchers to consult and read the inscriptions with the help of them. So, it is necessary to have a Tamil Inscription Wing at chennai, the bench said.

It also pointed out that nearly 60 per cent of the inscriptions are not yet published.