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The Union Cabinet today approved a proposal to ratify the UNESCO Convention for Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. It also agreed to contribute to the “Fund for the Safe-guarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage” at least every two years.
For the purpose of this Convention, international assistance could be obtained to safeguard those forms of intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding, preparation of inventories, support for programmes, projects and activities carried out at the national, sub-regional and regional levels.
The above decision will hasten consolidated and effective documentation of the intangible cultural heritage on basis of which schemes could be formulated to safeguard/revive endangered forms of intangible heritage. It will enable the Central and State Governments to focus their immediate attention to this aspect.
The 32nd session of the General Conference of UNESCO held in Paris from September 29 to October 17, 2003, adopted an International Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
As per the Convention, “intangible cultural heritage” is defined as the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artifacts and cultural spaces associated therewith – of those communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals who recognize these as part of their cultural heritage.
According to this Convention, each State Party shall take the necessary measures to ensure the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage in its territory and shall identify and define the various elements of the intangible cultural heritage present in its territory with the participation of communities, groups and relevant NGOs. It also requires the State Party to draw up inventories of the intangible cultural heritage which shall be regularly updated and submit its report to the inter-Governmental committee.
It also provides for designating or establishing one or more competent bodies for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage present in its territory.
India’s contribution for the year 2004 to UNESCO has been US$ 5,93,469. Hence, India’s contribution to the Fund for safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage will be one per cent of the above amount, i.e. US$ 5935, every two years, after ratifying the Convention.
With the coming into force of this Convention no further Proclamation of Masterpieces of ICH will be made by UNESCO. The items (i.e. art forms) already proclaimed “Masterpieces of the Oral & Intangible Heritage of Humanity” by UNESCO will be incorporated in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. India has two such items which have already been proclaimed as Masterpieces of the Oral & Intangible Heritage of Humanity. They are:
(i) Kutiyattam, a Sanskrit threatre, and
(ii) Tradition of Vedic Chanting in India
A third proposal entitled ‘Ramlila: the traditional performance of the Ramayana’ has been submitted and will be considered by UNESCO in July 2005.
YSR/DS/HS/LV
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