Our task is to ensure intangible heritage remains alive: India

New Delhi, Dec 7 (PTI) India on Sunday said traditions are "not relics of the past" but the guiding lights of the future, and asserted that "our task" is to ensure that intangible heritage remains alive, relevant, and empowering for the communities who hold it.

Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in his address at the opening ceremony of a key meeting of UNESCO being held at the Red Fort here, also said India hosting this meet is not just a matter of pride, but a reminder that its cultural ethos echo through its rich past.

The 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) will take place at the Red Fort from December 8 to 13. This is the first time that India is hosting a session of the UNESCO panel.

"We live at a unique moment when global challenges — climate stress, displacement, social fragmentation — put further pressure on fragile cultural systems. Yet, at the same time, new tools and renewed global attention give us the chance to do safeguarding better than ever," Shekhawat said.

"Our task is to ensure that intangible heritage remains alive, relevant, and empowering for the communities who hold it," he asserted.

In his address, the culture minister emphasised that "our traditions are not relics of the past; they are the guiding lights of the future". They teach society balance, sustainability, and respect for all forms of life. They remind it that humanity flourishes when "we remain anchored to the values of harmony and empathy".

"Therefore, for us, hosting meetings like this one is not merely an international affair or administrative exercise. They are opportunities to open the gate for dialogue between civilisations — dialogues that the world needs now more than ever," he added.

Shekhawat said expressed hope this meeting at the Red Fort would mark a "renewed global commitment", to lift the voices of communities, to hand knowledge to the youth with respect, and to use every available tool -- technological and policy -- to safeguard humanity’s intangible treasures.

As of recent UNESCO updates, the total number of inscribed elements across the intangible cultural heritage list, stands at 788, he said.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was the chief guest on the occasion.

UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and India’s Ambassador and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, Vishal V Sharma, were also present at the ceremony.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message was read by Union Culture Secretary Vivek Aggarwal in the presence of the dignitaries on the dais.

For India, heritage has never been just nostalgia, but it's a living and growing river, a continuous stream of knowledge, creativity and community, the PM said.

"Our civilisational journey has been shaped by the understanding that culture is enriched not only by monuments or manuscripts, but also thrives in the everyday expressions of people such as festivals, rituals, arts, and craftsmanship," Modi said.

The prime minister emphasised that intangible heritage matters because it "carries the moral and emotional memories of societies".

"Modernisation, urbanisation, conflict, and cultural disruption can cause precious traditions to fade silent. To save intangible heritage is to save the world's cultural diversity," he emphasised.

India currently has 15 elements inscribed on the coveted UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, including the Kumbh Mela, Durga Puja, Garba dance, yoga, the tradition of Vedic chanting and Ramlila -- the traditional performance of the Ramayana.

Jaishankar in his address to delegates from various countries said, "As we forge ahead in the shared quest for progress and prosperity", it is essential to nurture inheritance, build on it and pass it on to the future generations.

India acknowledges that traditions, languages, rituals, music and craftsmanship are essentials aspects of cultural inheritance, he said.

"They are in many ways the most democratic expression of culture, owned by all and guarded by many and enriched by many generations," Jaishankar said.

According to UNESCO, the session will examine nominations submitted by state parties for inscription on the UNESCO ICH lists, review the status of the existing elements, and provide international assistance for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.

The UNESCO DG in his address said the relationship between the world body and India has been "deep and enduring".

On December 5, the Union culture secretary had said that India's nomination, the ‘Deepavali’ festival, will be examined during the UNESCO meet "on December 10, in pursuance of its inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”.

"And we expect a positive outcome," he had told PTI.

The dossier for the nomination was submitted in 2023. India sent the nomination for the 2024-25 cycle. PTI KND MNK MNK