Buddha not laughing in Swat, terror shadow on heritage!

Swat: Militants are holding sway in the restive Swat valley of Pakistan and are destroying the heritage of Gandhara Civilisation there. In the absence of proper security arrangements, a historic rock-carved image of Buddha has already been destroyed partially. Situated on the banks of River Swat, anciently known as Svastu, the scenic Valley of Swat was the centre of Buddhist civilisation. In ancient scripts Swat is known as Udhyana meaning garden or park. Historians say Ashoka introduced Buddhism to Swat spreading it to Peshawar, Taxila, and beyond into Afghanistan. However, by seventh and eighth centuries AD, Buddhist Civilisation was losing its influence in this area. Rock carvings and historical sites preserve this part of history in the mountains and plains of Swat. Images and statues of Buddha carved in different forms are permanent record of the material remains of mankind. We reconstruct the history of Buddhism with their help. Now these carvings which you see hundreds of them in Swat, says Director Archeology Departmen, NWFP, Professor Fidaullah Sehrai. Growing militancy during the last one year has emerged as a major threat to these rare sites in the restive valley. Some sites have already been damaged. Jehanabad Buddha is one such complete and inspiring symbol of Gandhara Art. Preserved by nature due to difficult location, this seven meter tall meditating Buddha carved some 20 feet high from the land, survived many attacks since 1994. However, the last one proved destructive. Body of the Jehanabad Buddha still carries holes filled with explosives which show that the militants can come back any time for the final round to completely destroy the unique image. We have complained to the DOc and the ministry, and they will take some action, says official of Swat Museum, Nasir Khan. Unlike the past, the sites offer bleak look as no foreign tourists are visiting these sites for fear of growing militancy. This has badly damaged economy of the area that largely depended on tourism industry. Due to growing insecurity and lack of well-preserved strategy, some of these sites are fast losing its attraction for the tourists coming from different countries of the world.