Q. Safeguarding the Indian art heritage is the need of the moment. Discuss. [UPSC-2018]
Ans:
India is well known for it’s rich art heritage. With total 30 world heritage sites (30 cultural sites), India is ranked 6th in the number of art heritage sites. ©crackingcivilservices.com
Threats:
- Theft:
- According to Global Financial Integrity, illegal trade in paintings, sculptures, and other artifacts is one of the world’s most lucrative criminal enterprises, estimated at $6 billion a year.
- According to the National Crime Records Bureau, between 208 and 2012 a total of 4,408 items were stolen from 3,676 ASI-protected monuments across the country
- e.g. Subhash Kapoor case: he is alleged to have sold the 900-year-old bronze Nataraja for $5 million to the National Gallery of Australia in 2008.
- Religious conflict/ Communal riot: attacking on cultural properties of other religion.
- Pollution: e.g. Taj Mahal is turning yellow and green due to air pollution.
- Disasters: Tsunami, cyclone, flooding etc.
- Negligence and lack of Interest among younger generation.
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Why safeguarding is the need of the moment:
- The art heritages are artistic gifts we have got from our ancestors. We have moral responsibility to safeguard it.
- These are symbols of civilization and are part of Indian identity.
- Art heritages are instruments of national integration. People visits heritages of of different community => cultural synthesis and tolerance.
- Economic benefits and job creation:
- Nation image at global level -> Boost to soft power.
- Constitution under Art 49 and Art 51(f) imposes duty on both the state and citizen respectively.
Government steps:
- Under Art-49, the constitution obligates the state to protect and preserve every monument or place or object of artistic or historic interest.
- The Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972 whose aim is to protect antiquities.
- The law also prohibits export of antiquities while permitting their sale within the country only under a license.
- The Archaeological Survey of India is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural monuments in the country.
- It regulates all archaeological activities in the country as per the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958.
- It also regulates Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, 1972.
- National Importance Site:
- Under AMASR Act, 1958, ancient monuments or archaeological sites which are of historical, archaeological or artistic interest and which have been in existence for not less than 100 years may be declared as site of national importance.
- The protection and maintenance of monuments declared as site of national importance is taken up by ASI by way of structural repairs, chemical preservation and environmental development around the monument which is a regular and ongoing process.
- India has signed and ratified the UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Property.
- Actively participate with other country to retrieve and fight smuggling of cultural property.
- The National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities (NMMA) is a pan India mission which has been launched to prepare National Register and set up state level database on built heritage, sites and antiquities, promote awareness and sensitize people about such heritage, extend facility for capacity building.
- According to the NMMA, there are approximately 7 million antiquities in India. But by March this year, only 1.3 million had been documented.
- Schemes like: Swadesh Darshan, PRASAD , The ‘Adopt A Heritage: Apni Dharohar, Apni Pehchaan’.
Way forward:
- Thorough documentation.
- Vigilant citizenry
- restricting polluting industries near monuments
- Promoting awareness about the values of the art heritage among students
- A dedicated task force can be formed at the local level by collaborating with NGOs, Local government etc. ©crackingcivilservices.com
