UNESCO Recognises India’s Garba As World’s Intangible Cultural Heritage
India is acclaimed worldwide for its ancient and diverse cultural heritage dating back to thousands of years. It is recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which has inscribed 42 world heritage sites in India, and 14 intangible ones.
During its 18th session of the Intergovernmental Committee in Botswana, UNESCO officially added the dance of Garba to the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity.
The list includes intangible cultural heritage elements that "help demonstrate the diversity of cultural heritage and raise awareness about its importance" internationally. It may be recalled that earlier, Durga Puja of Kolkata and Ram Lila have been similarly recognised as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, India now has 15 elements inscribed to this. All these have great appeal throughout the country and across the world.
A folk dance of Gujarat, Garba is performed during the nine-day Navratri festival and is a celebration of the feminine divine. The festival is a huge celebration in India, transcending the regional borders, and among the Indian community in the UK, USA, etc. Every year, curated Garba events are organised across Gujarat and beyond, with much gusto and enthusiasm by the community who prepare for it for weeks.
The colourful dresses of participants, both men and women, are a huge spectacle and their energy during the night long dances is highly infectious. During several recent international summits, the dance form got a great visibility, evident from the video of WHO's Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, performing Garba during the Global Summit, which garnered international attention.
A few months back, Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself penned down Garba lyrics days before the festival! However, while a lot has been achieved with the proactive efforts of the government, the question is what needs to be done to ensure the recognition of our vast cultural heritage lying hidden in different regions of the country.
Since UNESCO’s Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage has come into force, various governments in the world have taken the task seriously. Beyond the national laws and guidelines, dedicated events are also organised, some accompanied with monetary grants. For instance, the US Government has been annually hosting the Smithsonian Folklife Festival since 1967, an event that documents and presents cultural expressions. Scotland's Edinburgh Festival also beautifully showcases Scottish cultural heritage. Some countries have even taken an extra step by integrating the teaching of Intangible Cultural Heritage into their education systems. South Korea has institutions dedicated to teaching traditional Korean music and drama. State-sponsored schools in Malaysia focus on the teachings of traditional Malaysian shadow puppetry.
Furthermore, cross-country collaborative efforts like those by Scandinavian countries to preserve the Sami culture are in place. In India, there is the Scheme for Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which aligns with UNESCO's safeguard initiatives, and to preserve and promote the country's intangible cultural heritages. Several states have also been actively working on it, projecting expressions in various regional and national festivals.
However, with the ICH coming into the limelight again, it is the right time to re-analyse and reinforce the various supportive measures in a coordinated manner. What needs to be consistently checked are the ground-level efforts in fulfilling the goal.
For example, the thatheras of Jandiala Guru (who represent the 200-year-old traditional technique of brass and copper utensils of Punjab, also endorsed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage) have been reportedly struggling to acquire their needed raw material.
In an article published in Tribune during the COVID-19, the community complained of discrimination by local authorities in distributing relief materials. While the facts need verification, several families are reportedly struggling to meet two meals a day! Such instances need to be attended to.
One of the biggest challenges worldwide, often overlooked, is the lack of authentic knowledge, and its integration with tourism and travel. For instance, tourHQ, a company focusing on curating such travel experiences worldwide, has often highlighted the scarcity of guides in India who possess accurate information about both tangible and intangible cultural heritages.
This knowledge gap affects the availability of diverse and myriad cultural representations, and flow of tourism in these expressions, resulting in a vacuum for global travellers at the international level.
Interestingly, there are many countries, like Japan, where dedicated training and workshops are arranged to train the local guides on the intangible cultural heritage of the country. In Mali, a heritage safeguarding commission has been created even at the local level to raise awareness and conduct regular events, enabling local participation. Additionally, it is equally important to ensure that incentives, such as monetary grants and scholarships, reach the targeted beneficiaries. Canada's First Peoples' Cultural Council (FPCC), an Indigenous-led organisation, has one of the best community-centric approaches.
FPCC works directly with Indigenous communities based on the principle that preservation efforts are best guided by the people who are deeply connected to it. While a lot has indeed happened in India and several states, there is still a long way to go in terms of employing a more comprehensive and systematic approach. It may be worthwhile to study international models, and see what has worked where, involve local indigenous communities and organisations, ensuring them to proactively participate in the preservation and projection of their heritage, with linkages to tourism.
(Dhanendra Kumar has been First Chairman Competition Commission of India, Executive Director at the World Bank for India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Bhutan. He is currently Chairman of Competition Advisory Services LLP)
