BACSA - Cemetery Conservation and Archiving
The ‘new’ cemetery at Ghazipur, India, in need of renovation.
There are thousands of British and other European cemeteries, isolated graves and monuments in South Asia. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission does an excellent job but its remit extends only to military cemeteries of the two World Wars. There is no official body to look after the graves of the thousands of soldiers killed during the many othe r wars and campaigns fought by the British in India, or of the hundreds of thousands of civilians who died in South Asia from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries.
The Garrison Cemetery, Seringapatam. Bacsa contributed a grant towards its renovation
This is where Bacsa comes in. Without our support many of these graves and monuments – witness to centuries of European residence in the area – will disappear. Our logo is an image of a chowkidar or ‘watchman’ for Bacsa acts as a kind of watchman over those many thousands who lie ‘gone but not forgotten’ in India and elsewhere in South Asia.
Edinburgh programme 17-20 September
As members have been informed, a programme has been planned in Edinburgh on the theme of ‘The Scots in India’. This includes a series of lectures, as well optional visits to the Royal Botanic Garden, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, an exhibition of the jute industry in Dundee, and a walking tour of Edinburgh. A highlight will be a visit to Broomhall at the personal invitation of Lord Bruce.
In the midst of the current coronavirus pandemic, it is hard to know what the situation will be like in September. While remaining hopeful, we are watching the situation carefully, and will keep members informed.
Events Cancelled
Because of the current coronavirus crisis, BACSA is very sorry to announce the cancellation of the following events:
14 April, visit to ‘Forgotten Masters’ at the Wallace Collection, with an introductory lecture by Charles Greig.
7 May, India and the Hurlingham Club connection: an Indian-themed tea and presentation.
It is hoped that this event will be re-scheduled later in the year.
The Raj Re-Examined
Bookings
BACSA uses the box office service Eventbrite to manage ticket sales.
