Antiquities, archives and museums serve as beacons of historical truths: Minister

T'puram: Antiquities, archival records and museums serve as beacons of historical truths at a time when there are covert attempts to erase great figures created by history, said minister of museums Ramachandran Kadannappalli.Speaking after inaugurating the International Archives and Heritage Center at Kariavattom University Campus on Thursday, Kadannappalli said the importance of these institutions is increasing in the current era, and the departments of archives, antiquities and museums are the guardians of Kerala's rich historical heritage.
"In the last 10 years, govt has been working to reorganise, expand and popularise these three departments to provide a proper understanding of history and address the changes of time," he said. "Our state's archives department holds the largest collection of palm leaf manuscripts in the world," he added. Center will make a collection of over one crore records accessible to the public, he said. Palm leaf manuscripts from 14th century, currently stored in regional archives in Kozhikode, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, will be relocated to this center. The collection includes intriguing manuscripts such as records of providing funds to women to start businesses, land grants by Pandya king to Malayalam rulers, fines imposed on govt officials for arriving late to the office, orders to pay wages in cash instead of rice and documents related to asking a person's last wish before execution.