<p>Muslim marital songs “Oppana”, Chhattisgarh’s Vedic chanting and “Pandavani” folk music, Sufi’s practice of “Sama” and “Zikra” as well as Sikh’s “Sabad” tradition are set to be recognised as rich cultural heritage of India by the Narendra Modi government which is formulating a new policy to protect such traditions and practices under a national mission.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Folklore and mythology like “Oggu Katha”, singing and narrating the stories of Hindu gods and Goddess like Mallana, Beerappa and Yellamma by itinerant women and men performers in Andhra Pradesh may also find place in the list as the proposed national mission seeks to create a national register of India’s intangible cultural heritage to protect and promote them.<br /><br />Various esoteric and religious practices, including “Yoga”, may also be included in the cultural heritage list with the Ministry of culture formulating a policy to make various communities “feel more included”. The ministry also aims to strengthen the “plural fabric” of the nation, according to a draft of the policy. <br /><br />“Ajrakh” block printing in Kutch and “Phad” painting from Rajasthan; diverse applications of language like Santhali songs in “OI Chiki” script in Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha; and the performance of “Chakyar Koothu”, which uses a mix of Sanskrit and Malayalam, are a few of the ancient knowledge and practices which the draft has suggested for inclusion in the list.<br /><br />Outlining the need to recognise India’s cultural expressions in various forms, the draft noted that a national policy was the need of the hour as India’s intangible cultural heritage was under constant threat broadly due to a massive scale of market-driven consumerist culture, increasing intolerance, limited access and ability to identify various cultural heritage elements, as well as little involvement of the communities. <br /><br />“The modern Indian has started looking at traditional knowledge with either scorn or indifference. Some of this could be the result of colonisation of our minds by the process of colonialism and the forces of westernisation and modernisation,” it added.<br /><br /> A national database on intangible heritage would be created through networking with various national and local institutions, including non-governmental organisations. Support of international organisations and Indian diaspora will also be sought. Before the mission is rolled out, a national agenda will be formulated for its implementation with maximum participation of scholars and experts.<br /><br />Time-tested value, universality, excellence and relevance to society in the contemporary context are the four basic criteria that the draft policy has proposed for identification of intangible cultural heritage for their inclusion in the national register.<br /></p>
<p>Muslim marital songs “Oppana”, Chhattisgarh’s Vedic chanting and “Pandavani” folk music, Sufi’s practice of “Sama” and “Zikra” as well as Sikh’s “Sabad” tradition are set to be recognised as rich cultural heritage of India by the Narendra Modi government which is formulating a new policy to protect such traditions and practices under a national mission.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Folklore and mythology like “Oggu Katha”, singing and narrating the stories of Hindu gods and Goddess like Mallana, Beerappa and Yellamma by itinerant women and men performers in Andhra Pradesh may also find place in the list as the proposed national mission seeks to create a national register of India’s intangible cultural heritage to protect and promote them.<br /><br />Various esoteric and religious practices, including “Yoga”, may also be included in the cultural heritage list with the Ministry of culture formulating a policy to make various communities “feel more included”. The ministry also aims to strengthen the “plural fabric” of the nation, according to a draft of the policy. <br /><br />“Ajrakh” block printing in Kutch and “Phad” painting from Rajasthan; diverse applications of language like Santhali songs in “OI Chiki” script in Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha; and the performance of “Chakyar Koothu”, which uses a mix of Sanskrit and Malayalam, are a few of the ancient knowledge and practices which the draft has suggested for inclusion in the list.<br /><br />Outlining the need to recognise India’s cultural expressions in various forms, the draft noted that a national policy was the need of the hour as India’s intangible cultural heritage was under constant threat broadly due to a massive scale of market-driven consumerist culture, increasing intolerance, limited access and ability to identify various cultural heritage elements, as well as little involvement of the communities. <br /><br />“The modern Indian has started looking at traditional knowledge with either scorn or indifference. Some of this could be the result of colonisation of our minds by the process of colonialism and the forces of westernisation and modernisation,” it added.<br /><br /> A national database on intangible heritage would be created through networking with various national and local institutions, including non-governmental organisations. Support of international organisations and Indian diaspora will also be sought. Before the mission is rolled out, a national agenda will be formulated for its implementation with maximum participation of scholars and experts.<br /><br />Time-tested value, universality, excellence and relevance to society in the contemporary context are the four basic criteria that the draft policy has proposed for identification of intangible cultural heritage for their inclusion in the national register.<br /></p>
