On the World Heritage Day, what immediately brings forth to our attention is the Kangla. The Manipur Assembly had passed a resolution to urge the Government of India to declare Kangla as a World Heritage Site. This was in the year 2003. The Central Government accordingly had earmarked funds for redeveloping the site. A decade has passed since then. Shifting of the Assam Rifles from the premise of the site was one important step. The shifting could have taken longer, or the AR could have become a permanent entity in Kangla, if not for the historic protest that took place in 2004. Needless to recall the valiant act of women agitators disrobing themselves at the western gate of Kangla, in front of the AR personnel, to protest against the atrocities committed by the paramilitary forces, in which a suspected woman cadre of an underground group was vehemently raped and murdered. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh personally came to hand over the key of Kangla to the Government of Manipur after the incident. We are informed that the Government is observing the World Heritage Day inside the Kangla premise under the aegis of its Art and Culture Department. School children are also invited to take part in a painting competition as part of the observation. Here, it is important to note that the International Council for Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) makes a number of suggestions on how to celebrate the World Heritage Day. Some of them are: Visits to monuments and sites, and restoration works, possibly with free admission, this includes wide publicity through the media, inviting local and foreign experts and personalities for conferences and interviews, publication of books, post-cards, stamps, posters, awarding prizes to organisations or persons who have made an outstanding contribution to the conservation and promotion of cultural heritage or produced an excellent publication on the subject. And most importantly: promotion of “twinning” opportunities between organisations for defining the areas for co-operation. This is indeed a momentous task but not an impossible one. The suggestion given by ICOMOS is an important guide map which underscores the essence of the observation. UNESCO has also mentioned that World Heritage is the shared wealth of humankind. Protecting and preserving this valuable asset demands the collective efforts of the international community. This special day offers an opportunity to raise the public`s awareness about the diversity of cultural heritage and the efforts that are required to protect and conserve it, as well as draw attention to its vulnerability. This declaration should also open our eyes that Kangla cannot be simply a “tourist destination”, where one buys an entry ticket, to exclaim ‘wow! This is beautiful’ and leaves for another sightseeing destination. It is important for the authorities to understand the suggestion given by ICOMOS, more particularly in regard to the resolution that was taken ten years back in the Assembly. The Government of India has no right to declare Kangla as a World Heritage. There are procedural norms that have to be followed by a country before submitting the nomination to UNESCO. Then there are step by step examinations before finally declaring it to be a World Heritage. Kangla with its cultural and historical significance has the possibilities of earning the appellation. Our submission to the Government is to move beyond the ceremonialism and push forward the agenda with sincere objectivity. We can see promising changes with efforts taken up the Kangla Fort Board. The ongoing general election engagements must have compelled them to scale down the observation. We expect a beat up change in April 2015.
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