Concern for fast disappearing intangible cultural heritage of J&K remains confined to statements

No meeting of committee convened ever since its constitution
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 6: Though the intangible cultural heritage of Jammu and Kashmir is disappearing fast yet the concern towards this vital aspect has remained confined to the official statements of the Government with no serious steps towards its documentation, which otherwise is imperative to preserve it for the posterity. Even a committee of experts constituted to start this exercise has failed to meet ever since its constitution over four months back.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that intangible cultural heritage of Jammu and Kashmir that includes oral traditions and expressions including language, performing arts, social practices, rituals and festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe and traditional craftsmanship is disappearing fast as no seriousness was ever shown towards its preservation for all future generations.
Keeping this in mind, the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti while chairing Central Committee meeting of Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages on October 3, 2016, decided that steps will be taken for documentation of intangible cultural heritage. “This step is imperative as the intangible heritage of the State is on the verge of extinction”, she had remarked in the meeting.
Thereafter, Chief Minister reiterated this on numerous occasions particularly during the events organized by Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages and stressed the need for start of documentation of intangible cultural heritage as early as possible. Even Dr Haseeb Drabu, who was earlier holding the portfolio of Culture Department, highlighted the necessity of documentation of intangible heritage so that the same remains alive for posterity.
However, for several months no seriousness was shown towards this vital aspect either by the Department of Culture or by Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages (JKAACL). “This compelled the Chief Minister’s Secretariat to dash a communication to all the concerned authorities on March 3, 2017 asking for initiating prompt action on the decision taken by her in the Central Committee meeting of JKAACL”, sources said.
Accordingly, the General Administration Department vide Government Order No.348 dated March 16, 2017 constituted a committee to work out the modalities for documentation of intangible cultural heritage in Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages.
The committee headed by Secretary JKAACL and comprising of Director (Codes), Finance Department, Head of Department of Information Technology, University of Jammu, Shabir Mujahid, Ex-Director Doordarshan Kashmir, Vijay Sambyal, Ex-Director Radio Kashmir Jammu, Ayash Arif, TV and Theatre Actor, Ghulam Nabi Aatish, Kashmiri writer, Dr Lalit Gupta, Art Historian, Mipam Otsal, Theatre Director and Devinder Kohli, freelance Producer-Director was asked to initiate steps in this regard as early as possible.
The task assigned to the committee pertains to identification of persons/organizations having expert knowledge of the art-forms which can document intangible cultural heritage; choosing the formats/digital media in which the art-forms shall be documented so that it can be easily transmitted over computer network and examine how the contract is to be awarded for documentation, sources said.
However, despite lapse of over four months no meeting of this committee has been convened by Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, they informed, adding “the dilly-dallying approach towards an issue of utmost importance is notwithstanding the fact that Chief Minister’s Secretariat was informed about constitution of the committee by the General Administration Department”.
“This clearly establishes that concern for fast disappearing intangible cultural heritage of Jammu and Kashmir has remained confined to the official statements”, sources regretted, adding “in this way the PDP-BJP Government is also showing non-serious approach towards preserving intangible heritage for future generations on the pattern of all the previous Governments in the State”.
When contacted, Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages Dr Aziz Hajini, who is the Convenor of the committee of experts, confirmed that no meeting of the committee has been convened till date. He, however, failed to give any specific reason for the same.
“We will shortly convene meeting to translate the directions of Chief Minister into reality”, he immediately added.
Responding a question, Secretary said that basic idea behind documentation of intangible cultural heritage was to prepare 20 to 30 minutes audio-visual film of each form of intangible heritage to preserve the same for posterity. “I have also written to the Government for granting permission to work out modalities for documentation of tangible heritage also through the same committee but the response is awaited”, he added.

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