Heritage Issues in Jammu & Kashmir

Localisation and the advent of technological improvisations have lead to the  progression of the human society towards the economic boom without having any  understanding of the identity and roots that have shaped the humans and hence the  societies.This gap has posed a serious challenge to the heritage all over the  globe. Either people see it as an insignificant entity occupying space that is  meant for the parking lots and concrete jungles or a commodity meant to be  exploited for the economic gains without realizing that sustainability and  sympathetic reuse is the only principle that can sustain it for the comprehensive  development plans and up gradation of the stakeholders.
The progression of the human society and the quest for overpowering nature has  led to the insensitivity towards heritage and set the momentum for the  vandalisation of these heritage assets. It is in this background for the larger interests of the stakeholders that is  the human race and to sensitize the entire human fraternity comprising of  different nations-ICOMOS(International Council on Monuments and Sites) on 18 th  April 1982 resolved to observe this day (18th April) as the “ International Day  on Monuments and Sites)” popularly known as “World Heritage Day”.Heritage  Commemoration should  develop a sense of preservation and conservation of the diversified and complex  forms of heritage places like living landscapes, which are tangible carriers of  the memory of a part of the human experience.It is through their authenticity and  integrity that they lead to commemoration and transmission of values that  includes history. This commemoration has variety of forms like monumental sculpture, vernacular  tradition, urban historic city areas, ruins whose typonymy leads to celebration of  event or individual.
The choice of this theme is partly inspired by the centennial in 2014 of the  beginning of the Great War of 1914-18. Due to the unprecedented scale of  violence and destruction and its international reach, this great tragedy of the  Modern era led societies and nations to adopt a new form of commemoration on  the notion of scientific approach and individual identity of the innumerable  victims rather than events and heroic personalities.This has led to the focus  towards the creation of a distinctive heritage of monuments and sites, meant for  the purpose of sole commemoration. Jammu and Kashmir has been in the forefront of the ethno-religious  conflict that has led to the competitive and conflicting interpretation of  heritage as vested interests have not only altered the heritage concept but  indulged in selective vandalisation of the shared assets that should have  otherwise been inclusive keeping in view all the stakeholders.
In such a scenario our approach towards heritage should be shaped by the  following fundamental questions:
• What is happening to heritage?
• What heritage means to me?
• What can I do for heritage?
Answers to these questions will pave the way for devising responsible heritage  conservation and marketing strategies.The heritage strategies should focus on the  importance of heritage conservation and opportunities to share experiences of  stakeholders. The need is to include civic bodies and municipalities for heritage  conservation.This approach has worked in cities of Delhi, Bankok, Yangoon and seoul.
UT of Jammu and Kashmir should focus on the following three factors:
• Social factors
• Poltico-economic factors
• Planning factors.
These factors should be in tune with urban development.It will lead to  comprehensive restoration and marketing of urban historic areas like Mandi  Mubarak in the Jammu region of the UT, where lack of these factors in the  policy premise has led to inflated costs of conservation and incompatible  restoration work and exposing a premature conserved area to tourism.It is a sad  commentary on the part of the consultancy groups that were in the forefront  this project. Besides no thought was given to the carrying capacity. Conservation of heritage should have local sustainability by devising a tourism  plan having economic value. Only then it can lead to sustainable heritage  tourism. Carrying capacity and multiplier effect should be the cardinal principles  of the heritage value of the destination.
A number of factors facilitate and help to promote heritage conservation and  approach to heritage in the spheres of governance, education, technology and  finance. Within this framework, the role and involvement of of banks and financial  institutions in assisting borrowing for protection and development of heritage  assets is receiving increasing attention.
Linkages between heritage conservation and economic development, particularly in  the context of promoting heritage tourism are still being understood, leading banks  to think in terms of funding urban heritage conservation projects that  accelerate social and economic development and meet  technical, economic, institutional, financial and environmental review criteria.
Thus our approach towards heritage should be shaped by multidisciplinary approach  that gives credence to heritage assets in terms of sustainability for wider  inclusive socio-political and economic development.