Jammu, Feb 14: All heritage sites and other protected monuments must be renovated and given a facelift on mission mode while ensuring that their aesthetics and sanctity are not compromised, said Secretary Culture, Dr Syed Abid Rashid Shah while chairing a meeting to review works of various departments under his ambit at the Civil Secretariat here on Tuesday.
He also said the government is committed to reviving the Culture Department on a massive scale for bringing about a cultural renaissance in the union territory. Laying emphasis on promoting and giving due recognition and operating to Abhinav Theatre, Kala Kendra Jammu and Tagore Hall in Kashmir, Dr Abid said these places have been the nerve centres of J&K’s cultural space and should be throbbing with cultural activities throughout the year.
The Secretary Culture urged the officers to connect to the locals as well as visitors with J&K’s heritage through social media. “The departments are working well to preserve our shared treasures and the same must be shared with the public to generate their curiosity and interest,” he emphasised.
Over the course of the meeting, Dr Abid discussed strategies to make the department vibrant and to connect more with the youth.
Speaking to the representatives of the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Arts Culture & Languages, the Secretary said, “We have rich and vibrant cultures in Jammu & Kashmir. We need to organise events to give a new lease of life to them and attract youth towards it.”
He directed the respective officers to meditate on and submit a feasibility report on initiating Cultural Apprenticeship in Traditional Artforms programme. He said the Department of Libraries must prioritise its services for youngsters and students of the remote areas of J&K. He passed necessary directions for speeding up the process of digitisation of government libraries.
He was informed that the government has identified 35 monuments and sites across the UT for restoration. He reviewed the present status of each of these sites through a power-point presentation. He also supported the idea of collaborations with other premier institutes and bodies from all over India to give a fillip and generate public interest in cultural activities.
He directed the officers to create and submit a calendar of promotional activities to be organised in the coming months.
