Concerned over the unchecked auctions of Chandigarh’s heritage furniture in foreign countries, city-based heritage activist Ajay Jagga has sought immediate diplomatic intervention to halt such sale of heritage goods to private collectors worldwide.
Jagga had recently flagged a fresh auction by US-based Wright Auction House involving furniture designed by renowned architect Pierre Jeanneret as part of the Chandigarh Capital Project.
He stated that the US auction house had claimed selling 400 pieces worth $5.5 million in 10 years.
Senior Advocate ML Sarin said, “We are not valuing our treasure which should be looked after properly.”
Describing the development as a “systemic and ongoing loss of India’s cultural identity,” Jagga said these items were originally commissioned for government institutions in Chandigarh under the vision of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who had engaged architects Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret to design the city.
He raised serious concerns over the repeated appearance of such artefacts in international auctions, pointing to possible illegal removal or unauthorised disposal of public assets. The representation also highlighted gaps in preservation, documentation and custodial oversight of heritage items.
“Several auction houses are openly displaying original institutional markings identifying their provenance from Chandigarh and Punjab Government establishments. These markings strengthen India’s claim, yet there appears to be no effort to challenge such sales or secure repatriation,” the representation stated.
Jagga noted that despite earlier instances of Chandigarh furniture being auctioned abroad, including by the same auction house, no structured institutional or diplomatic response mechanism has been developed.
Calling for urgent action, he urged the Ministry of External Affairs to establish a standard operating procedure to monitor international auctions, flag listings of Indian heritage objects and initiate legal or diplomatic intervention where necessary.
He also sought the creation of a coordinated mechanism involving the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Culture and the Archaeological Survey of India for real-time response, along with a domestic probe into how such marked government assets are repeatedly take out of the country. The representation further cited constitutional provisions, including Article 49, which mandates the State to protect objects of historical importance, and Article 51A, which casts a duty on citizens to preserve cultural heritage and safeguard public property.
Jagga said the continued export and sale of such items also runs contrary to the Centre’s stated vision of “Viksit Bhi, Virasat Bhi,” and may violate existing restrictions imposed by the Ministry of Home Affairs on the disposal or export of furniture designed by Jeanneret and Le Corbusier.
