In a bid to showcase the rich legacy and cultural heritage of Punjab across the globe especially amongst the Punjabi Diaspora, the state government has entrusted the task of formulating its Cultural Heritage Policy to the UNESCO which was likely to be finalized by the May 31, 2014. A high level delegation of Delhi based UNESCO monitoring panel team led by its Co-chairpersons Dr. Richard Engelhardt and Mrs. Sudha Pillai today called on the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal to update him about the status of the project.
Focusing on the mandate of UNESCO team, Mr. Engelhardt informed the Chief Minister that the underlying objective of the cultural policy was to protect and promote natural and cultural heritage, tangible and intangible, moveable and immoveable while enhancing international mutual understanding among nations and people. He said the UNESCO would give technical assistance to the state to develop its Cultural Heritage Policy and strategic frameworks, as well as the implementation strategy for protection and conservation of its cultural resources. He hoped that this joint initiative of the state government and UNESCO would serve as a pilot project to cover the varied fields of Craft forms, built heritage, archives, museums and intangible cultural heritage. Mr. Engelhardt appreciated the Chief Minister for taking a decision to impose cess of 1% on the upcoming infrastructure development projects for raising funds for the cultural heritage monuments and memorials thereby making Punjab as the country’s first state for taking this unique initiative.
Badal assured the delegation that the state government would offer all help and support to UNESCO team for the formulation of this much needed policy. He said after the success of few heritage projects like Khalsa Heritage Complex at Sri Anandpur sahib, Baba Banda Singh Bahadur war Memorial at Chaparchiri at Mohali, Wadda Ghalughara at Kuprahiran in Sangrur District and Chhota Ghalughara at Chamb Kahnuwan in district Gurdaspur and now the state government had planned to set up a state-of- the-art Jang-e-Azadi memorial at Kapurthala to highlight the enormous contribution of Punjabis in the national freedom struggle, besides several other monuments were coming up in different parts of the state to showcase the rich cultural legacy of the state. Mr.Badal further said that such initiatives for the promotion of Art & Culture would act as a link between the Punjab’s glorious heritage past and the future generations.
Meanwhile, Principal Secretary Cultural Affairs, Archaeology & Museum Mr. S.S.Channy apprised the Chief Minister that an MoU and fund interest agreement was signed between the state government and the UNESCO, New Delhi on February 2010. He said the cultural affairs department had already constituted a panel of cultural experts and an eminent art personalities who were well versed with different aspects of state’s glorious cultural heritage to approve and vet the document from ntime to time.
Taking part in the deliberations, the Director Cultural Resource Conservation Initiative (CRCI) Ltd. Miss Gurmeet Rai said that in accordance with the vision statement the team would make endeavour to set- forth a coherent long term policy strategy and plan of action to safeguard cultural heritage through the revitalization of the potential of culture to drive both social and economic development within in the multicultural context of India, the specific history, language and traditions of Punjab which have created a rich and complex fabric of Punjabiyat.Co-Chairperson of UNESCO Mrs. Sudha Pillai told the Chief Minister that the state government should pose a comprehensive state’s action plan for the conservation and promotion of Punjab Heritage to the 14th Finance Commission for seeking funds for the implementation of its cultural heritage policy in the right earnest.
Prominent among others who were present in the meeting included Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. S.K. Sandhu, Director Cultural Affairs Mr. Navjot Pal Singh Randhawa, Besides other members of the UNESCO team included Ms. Aruna Bagchee, Ms. Sudha Gopalakrishnan and Cultural Specialist of UNESCO Miss Moe Chiba.