'Inclusive endeavour is lacking to save heritage'

Janwani’s initiative, ‘Branding Pune’s Heritage’, aims to pitch in where the government and individual efforts have seemed to be insufficient.

The NGO intends to look at unique themes of heritage that have been neglected like Pune’s contribution to literature, music, drama, films, women’s emancipation, craft, ancient performing and visual art, education and research, the city’s long history in martial valour and its importance as the centre of military activities since ancient times. The coordinator of the project, Prajakta Panshikar, shares her vision about the initiative with DNA.

Pune has many organisations and individuals working on heritage. How different is the initiative of Janwani?
It is true that there are many activities involving heritage conservation going on in the city. However, all activists and organisations involved in it are working in pockets at their level and these are not inclusive efforts. The need for inclusive endeavour is lacking, which is why we felt the need to chip in and bring individuals, government and organisations under a single umbrella so that there is sharing of vision and collective effort. There is a lot of scope in this field and the present endeavours are not enough.
 

When will the actual implementation of the initiative take place?
Although it’s an initiative of Janwani, we are planning to form a body to include all participants working on the heritage issue. The actual implementation will start by the end of this year. Several people have responded to our appeal to join us. People’s participation is the most important part of heritage conservation. There are many people who know what to do and have the will to work on this matter. Our initiative will give them a platform. Through them we intend to reach out to others and bring them into our fold. Various committees are working on different themes.

Do you intend to go beyond the conventional approach of saving heritage?
We are working on many themes that have received the kind of attention it deserves. Mostly the efforts are concentrated on conserving the monuments in the city but we are also looking at Pune’s contribution towards important fields which will make it a heritage hub. Pune has a rich history in art, craft, literature, drama, music, women’s emancipation, education and research, science and technology. The rich legacy is our heritage, which needs to be conserved. We will have a separate group of experts working on each of these themes. They have already started drafting an action plan and are even planning the budget. We also wish to make Pune a tourist destination keeping the city’s heritage in mind. We are identifying the unique selling aspects of the city and will see how it can be presented in the best possible way.

How do you plan to overcome the legal and financial hurdles?
We have approached the government and corporates for funds. There are a lot of legal implications in heritage conservation and we need to find a way to preserve it. We will rope in people from all sections like the government, legal expertise and others to resolve all the hurdles.