Vice-president of India, M Hamid Ansari delivered the Annual Viraasat lecture at Vadodara.
The vice-president of India, M Hamid Ansari, visited Vadodara on Saturday, to deliver a keynote address at an annual function jointly organised by local NGO-Heritage Trust and Delhi-based Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage.
“The politicisation of tangible and intangible heritages poses a serious challenge to heritage prevention in India and South Asia region,” said the president while delivering the Annual Viraasat lecture at Sayaji garden museum in Vadodara. “The destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan and of the Babri mosque in Ayodhya best reflect the manner in which issues of identity, shaped by fundamentalist approaches, have threatened archaeological and heritage sites.”
At the event a book named ‘Myths and Legends of Champaner and Pavagadh’, written by Dr. Sonal Modi was also released. “The Champaner-Pavagadh archaeological park designated as a Unesco World Heritage Centre reflects the composite culture of Gujarat and the multi-cultural ethos of our nation. Heritage sites in India not only house historical monuments but also are continuous areas of habitat for the local population.”
Emphasising on the article 51(A) of the Constitution of India, dealing with fundamental duties he said that every citizen should value and preserve the rich heritage of our culture. There are less than ten thousand monuments protected by the archaeological survey of India and state archaeology departments. Apart from these monuments, very few public spaces have been subjected to heritage conservation frameworks. In comparison, Latvia, with a population of around 2.5 million has over eight thousand protected heritage sites.
“After over three decades since this article was inscribed in the constitution, time has come to assess its impact on the perception and practice of heritage conservation and management,” he added.
He said that the judiciary and media have increasingly played an important role in heritage conservation and advocacy. “Executive regulations for heritage conservation have been notified in many states and have provided a framework for conserving buildings of architectural, historical and aesthetic value. In terms of legislation, Punjab and Maharashtra have pioneered state-level legislations for heritage conservation.”
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