Archiving for the greater good

For a country that prefers paperwork at every step, we see a contrast when it comes to maintaining archives of any kind. Our sutradhaars try to read between the lines as International Archives Day was observed last week

Sir PM was hidden behind piles of stapled documents, bound files and massive hardbound books. Lady Flora hoped it wasn’t another gent in her line of vision, and treaded gingerly towards their usual meeting spot inside Horniman Circle Garden. But his familiar humming of a Mozart harmony gave him away. ‘He’s in a good mood,’ she told herself, and smiled.

“Ah! There you are, my Lady. I am so glad you came by even though we had to cancel our walk,” Sir PM acknowledged his friend as he moved away from the stack of books and files. “Pray, Pheroze…what’s with this collection? Please tell me this will be something interesting and worth my time,” Lady Flora wasn’t one to waste time, as she glanced at the St Thomas Cathedral’s clock. “My Lady, I was doing some reading up when I had visited my preferred bank for financial advice recently, because I was interested in its origins. But it turns out I couldn’t go too far. The bank, despite being over a century-and-a-half-old didn’t have too many documents of its early days, if it played any role in the days of colonialism and later, our freedom movement. But worst of all, I couldn’t find any records of its architect, its architecture, which as you’d agree, is one of the finest structures in this part of town. I was disappointed,” Sir PM sighed; his one hand delicately balanced on a pile of books lest they tumble over the wooden bench.

“You are so right,” Lady Flora said, adding, “I’ve noticed this casual approach towards documentation myself. I’ve rarely seen organisations give time, money, expertise and effort to developing their archives. In a historic city like ours, which has realms of history attached to it, it is a shame. Only the other day I was reminded of the wonderful time I had all those years ago when the good General had approached me to help him sort out the archives that had piled up at the Cathedral. It was one of the most challenging, and fulfilling experiences in my lifetime. The knowledge that I gained, the information that I had access to…Pheroze, I tell you, it was such an inspiring journey,” Lady Flora’s face lit up. Sir PM, apart from doing an eye roll at her mention of the General, was curious about this till-now unspoken episodic highlight of his friend’s life. “So, how did working on this important archive become such a memorable chapter for you, my Lady?” he asked.

Lady Flora cleared her throat after a sip of the pudina chai, and began, “The Reverend at the Cathedral has an eye for all things of heritage value. Some time ago, there was a discussion with the museum nearby to give a new lease of life to tonnes of records. A leading architectural firm in the city came on board to design this exhibition along with conservation experts from the museum. I was delighted when I learnt that it would display important documents, artefacts and memorabilia that belonged to the Cathedral since its inception.” This was the most excited that Sir PM had seen his friend in a long while. “Now, since the Cathedral was the chief place for baptisms in the former Bombay Presidency, you had British families travelling from far and wide to get their newborns baptised here. And guess what the big find was? The sight of Rudyard Kipling’s name in the birth register! I swear I let out a loud shriek when we spotted it,” she confessed.

“I wish more city organisations could set up this critical service. Maybe not all places will have the bandwidth to create exhibitions but they can at least begin the task of maintaining an archive for future generations to use, gain insight, and seek inspiration from,” she added.

Sir PM was quite impressed with his friend’s take on archives. “Now that you mention it, I feel we missed a trick by not creating a public-access archive of the BMC’s records since Day 1. Imagine what a vast repository we would have boasted of by now, offering an invaluable treasure of information for people with varied interests—be it a student, a researcher, a curious Bombaywallah or a tourist!” sighed Sir PM, ruing his earlier error in judgement. “But you’ve given me a great idea, my Lady. I shall make a proposal to my bank and offer my services to set up an archive. And the next time I catch up with my friends in the Bombay High Court, I shall propose the same; in fact, I am pretty sure they already have an archive. But wouldn’t it be amazing, if regular folk could access it, with a fee, of course. I really wish organisations and educational institutions with a strong legacy or even the newer establishments, take up this task at the earliest so it can become a useful resource for scholars and the public alike. Archives can enlighten the minds of citizens about our past, so they can pay more heed to the present and thus, are better equipped to step into the future. For starters, I’ve agreed to help my school build an archive. Will you help me sort this pile out, My Lady?” Sir PM asked his friend. “With great pleasure, dear Pheroze,” replied Lady Flora. And with that both friends buried themselves in the noble task.

mid-day’s Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the city’s sights, sounds, smells and stones...wherever the ink and the inclination takes her. She tweets @bombayana

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