Intangible heritage needsto be saved, say experts

Neha Saini

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Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 30

The move of Local Bodies Minister Navjot Sidhu to announce Rs 10 lakh for the upliftment of the Thathera community has been hailed by residents. While the move has been appreciated by all as the traditional heritage craft had made it to the Unesco’s intangible heritage list, art and culture historians feel that there are more such folk art forms that need immediate revival plan.

“It is a good move to revive this heritage craft form as efforts are being made to get them into the mainstream commercial market after the community was listed in Unesco’s intangible heritage items. But there are many more performing folk art forms like Nakkals, Baazigars, Bhands and Marasis that are exclusive to Punjab and are on the brink of extinction. Their origin comes from traditions and cultural ethos of Punjab and need revival plan on the similar ground as Thathera,” say Kewal Dhaliwal, theatre historian.

Agrees Manjot Kaur, a folk artist from city. “So many intangible heritage art and crafts from Punjab have perished due to lack of awareness and government apathy. Not many people would know what luddi is or what chajj is, as specific weaves and crafts of Punjab have been pushed towards oblivion. Even the performing art forms that are non commercial need attention from the state machinery.”

Earlier, Rajendra Singh, theatre director, who was working on a project to revive the Bhand and Marasi community also mentioned that the community needs to be revived and rehabilitated on a large scale as they are on the verge of dying.