Ziro, the land and its people are in the news for all the right reasons as being a contender for the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage Site shortlist. Much efforts and publicity are being generated to get the coveted title among the many proposed across the world. The Land, its management, its unique culture and the people are being projected as the Unique Selling Proposition (USP) to obtain the title. The watershed management, forestry, bamboo growing, wet rice cum fish cultivation is the physical components of this unique identity. The tangible components are its people and their cultural identifiers- the Tattoos, Nose Plugs, Arts and Crafts. The intangible aspects are its culture- the Myths, Legends, Songs, Dances, Religion and language. As of now, Are Ziro ready for the World Heritage Site?
The Criteria for the selection of World Heritage Site states: “To be included on the World Heritage list, sites must be of outstanding universal value and meet at least one of the ten selection criteria.” These criteria are explained in the Operational Guidelines for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention which, besides the text of the convention, is the main working tool on the World Heritage. The criteria are regularly revised by the committee to reflect the evolution of the world Heritage concept itself. Ziro is vouching for its cultural landscape, a physical entity purely born of man’s determination to survive on a land so limited, with pressure on the land in relation to its huge population.
There are a great many rules and regulations for choosing of and maintaining the World Heritage Sites, with instructional or individual donors to the UNESCO agencies. Much effort is expended in maintaining the sanctity and originality of these sites to preserve them for the future generations. As much as is the pride associated with having a world heritage in the area, so are the “Do’s and Don’ts”, the “Yes and the No”.
Ziro with its daunting landscape and unique culture is already undergoing many cultural and environmental changes. The forces of acculturation have already penetrated very deep into the heart of the Apatani civilization. The tangible aspects of the culture have changed drastically in the manner of arts, crafts, trade and commerce. The intangible aspects are on the verge of being lost forever. The songs, dances, tales, myths and other oral traditions have lost much meaning and relevance among the younger generations. The dangers of language shift are as much real as it is a threat to the very existence of the Apatani identity.
SHORTCOMING OF BEING SELECTED AS WORLD HERITAGE SITE
Added to the cultural change, the landscape of Ziro valley too is undergoing a rapid change. Hills have been mowed down to build bungalows. Virgin tracts of forests are being bulldozed to build too many networks of dirty tracks. Shopping complexes are springing up haphazardly. Infrastructures, such as the highways, will take much of the limited land available. Even so, while the township and infrastructural projects are narrowing down the land, the villages are changing in themselves. Many of the villages now resemble towns. The facilities are more available now than before while the uniqueness of the Apatani village and its culture are dwindling.
The cultural landscape that is sought to be preserved for prosperity is slow vanishing. The Apatanis have progressed very well academically, economically and socially, yet the fact remains that there are not much takers for manual labour, or for that matter for growing rice or cultivating pine or bamboo. The city lights and glitz of the government jobs and salaried incentives hold much more promise for the youths than staying behind to till the land or to care for it. The famed rice fields and groves inflated the price of it too much more than its actual cost. The nostalgic attraction towards the motherland and the need to build and invest in paternal land has seen the rice fields being dumped into dry lands for construction activities. Boundaries of concrete, which never existed before, have sprung up between the fields.
The society is at a crossroads, either progressing too fast or breaking down too soon. Kinship solidarity is being divided among different political, economic and religious affiliations. The pride and homogeneity, which once existed, are seen much lesser among today’s generation. It’s been only two or three generations of salaried jobs an education, and the language and cultural belonging have already drifted too far. The older generations, the repository of ancient ways and customs that make us so famous are weak, old and rapidly dying out. The Priest (Nyibus), the narratives, the rituals and the ceremonies are dwindling as fast as it is not being replaced.
CONCLUSION:
The UNESCO World Heritage Criterion states originality and preservation of such locations for posterity’s sake. But can Ziro and its people, already on the brink of change and acculturation, be forced to stand still to be included in the World Heritage Site? Can the cultural change be reversed to keep alive what made us famous in the first place?
Even as we debate if Ziro is ready or not to be included in the World Heritage Site, the voices of the locals, the aged, the old and the young, the repositories of ancient knowledge and the aspirations of the future seem dimmed and unheard. If and when it is included in its management, decision making and financing needs to be decided beforehand, lest the local voices are left out and they remain mere spectators or lost in the glam and fame of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in their own land. Unlike the Ajanta and Ellora Caves in India which are still World Heritage Sites of India, our is a living heritage. And life will keep growing, the direction of which only the present can decide.
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