Read Article By Githartha Roymedhi
Heritage tag eludes Majuli

Guwahati/Jorhat, July 14: Dispur’s delay in tabling a bill to provide legislative support to Majuli has cost the river island its rightful place in the World Heritage List this year. It will now have to wait till next year’s meeting in New Zealand to make a fresh bid for the coveted tag.
Aswini Sarma, secretary general of Unesco Association, Guwahati, quoting an e-mail sent by Junko Okahashi, assistant programme specialist of the Asia Unit of the World Heritage Centre (WHC), said: “The bill came too late for the ongoing session to consider it. There are certain procedures and a timetable for submission of updated information on World Heritage List nominations. Majuli island may be considered for inscription next year.” Majuli’s fate was discussed at the 30th session of WHC in Lithuania yesterday.
It took the government nearly three years to pass a legislation to declare Majuli a culturally protected area. Assam cultural affairs minister Gautom Bora tabled the Majuli Cultural Landscape Region Bill, 2006, on Monday in the Assembly. It was passed last evening, just a few hours before Majuli’s case was put up before the UN body.

The Telegraph had recently reported the possibility of Majuli missing the bus owing to the delay in enacting the legislation for the island’s protection.
The UN body did not consider Majuli’s case yesterday, based on a report of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). In April, in its technical evaluation report to the UN, ICOMOS had recommended deferring the inscription to allow the state to provide legal protection and put in place a framework to protect the island. A copy of the highly confidential report is available with The Telegraph.
AGP MP Arun Sarma said Majuli’s case would be again put up next year with renewed vigour, now that legislation has been put in place. “I am sad but not disheartened,” Sarma said.
AJYCP general secretary Jagat Hazarika blamed the Assam government for not taking the necessary initiative in this regard. “It was only a couple of days ago that the government suddenly woke up to introduce a bill for Majuli’s protection. The government should have taken the initiative earlier. Only the NGO, the Majuli Island Protection and Development Committee, has tried hard to present Majuli’s case. The 10-year-long struggle has been in vain,” Hazarika rued.
“This is very unfortunate. The island has all the ingredients required for a heritage site tag. The news has come as a shock for me,” said Pitambar Debo Goswami, satradhikar of Auniati Satra.
Majuli College professor Ananda Hazarika, too, was stunned: “We were almost sure this time. We struggled a lot to collect data, which we provided to representatives from the world body.”

Majuli gets protection, finally - Bill on legislative safeguards tabled three years after pledge 

Guwahati, July 10: Dispur tabled a bill to extend legislative protection to Majuli, the hub of Assam's Vaishnavite culture, even as a Unesco conference in faraway Lithuania began evaluating the island's claim to the status of a World Heritage site. Tabled on the very first day of the budget session, the bill envisages the creation of a Majuli Cultural Landscape Management Authority to facilitate sustainable development and protection of the island's uniqueness. The chief secretary or any additional chief secretary, as may be nominated by the government, will be the chairperson of the proposed panel. The commissioner and secretary of the cultural affairs department will be the vice-chairperson. The management authorities will also have a chief executive officer, an executive officer and five members, to be nominated by an advisory group. The local representative in the Lok Sabha, a Rajya Sabha member from the state, the legislator from Majuli and the deputy commissioners of Jorhat, Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts will be the members of the advisory group. The authority will have the power to implement management plans, co-ordinate and monitor development activities, prepare and modify necessary guidelines for socio-economic and socio-cultural activities, and draw up disaster mitigation and risk preparedness plans for the area. The Majuli Cultural Landscape Region Bill, 2006, also proposes to prevent uncontrolled land use, "disintegrated" development measures, commercial exploitation, incorporation of non-indigenous techniques into sustenance of traditional lifestyle and institutions and regulate tourist inflow. It will, however, encourage "heritage and environment-sensitive tourism". Cultural affairs minister Gautom Bora tabled the bill, which defines tourists as "those coming from outside the landscape region and staying there for not more than 10 days". The delay in extending legislative protection to Majuli was thought to have spoiled Majuli's bid for the tag of World Heritage Site. The Assembly had unanimously adopted a resolution on April 1, 2003, to declare the island as a protected area. The Unesco convention that will decide whether Majuli deserves World Heritage Site status began yesterday and continue till July 16. An Indian delegation left for Lithuania on July 6 to lobby with Unesco.

Governor okays tabling of Majuli Bill

GUWAHATI, July 9 – Asom Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Ajai Singh has given his assent today on placing a Bill called Majuli Cultural Landscape Regional Bill-2006 by the State Government on the floor of the State Assembly. The Bill has to be passed by the Assembly in connection with the ongoing process for declaring Majuli as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.

The Bill is likely to be moved by the Sate Government in the Assembly on the first day of the session beginning tomorrow.

UNESCO deliberates Majuli issue

GUWAHATI, July 8 – The World Heritage Committee of the UNESCO is meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania from today. The session will last till August 16. It will discuss, among others, the nomination of Majuli island for a World Heritage Site status. The matter is listed as Agenda Item No 8B. Disclosing this, Junko Okahashi, Programme Specialist of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Paris informed Aswini Kumar Sarma, secretary general, UNESCO Association, Guwahati, through e-mail, that the International Council for Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) had already made its technical evaluation of the nomination of the island. This evaluation will be presented during the session of the World Heritage Committee so that the 21-member committee can ‘make appropriate decisions for possible inscription or not,’ Okahashi said.

The UNESCO official also informed Sarma that India was one of the members of the committee and the Ambassador of India to the UNESCO and the Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) would represent the Indian delegation at the session.

It needs mention here that the popular movement for wresting World Heritage Site status to the island was launched by the Majuli Island Protection and Development Council (MIPADC), headed by Lok Sabha Member from the State Dr Arun Kumar Sarma. The State Government is lending all possible support to it, while the Government of India is also extending all possible help to materialise this dream of the State’s people to wrest an international recognition to the island. The island is the nerve centre of Assamese Vaishnavite religion and culture, besides being a treasure house of the mosaic of ethnic cultures.

Prof Jagath Weerasinghe, an ICOMOS expert from Sri Lanka visited the island in November last year to evaluate the nomination paper of the island for the said status. Source: Assam Tribune

Govt lethargy may erode Majuli’s World Heritage bid

Rajeev Bhattacharyya / Raghvendra Rao (Source: Indian Express)

30th session of the World Heritage Committee begins in Lithuanian capital Vilnius today 

New Delhi, July 7:Majuli, the largest river island in the world, located midstream in the Brahmaputra in Assam, will be India’s nomination this year to the 30th session of the World Heritage Committee, which begins in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius tomorrow. India will seek to get Red Fort in Delhi the status of a World Heritage site next year. 
However, doubts have already been raised on Majuli’s chances of making it to the prestigious list. UNESCO has also raised concern over the most vital condition, that the site be declared ‘‘protected’’, being not met as yet. 

UNESCO, under whose auspices the World Heritage Committee meets, is clearly not impressed by the efforts to prevent flood and erosion in the island, located about 350 km east of Guwahati. Reason: from 1250 sq km in late 19th century, the main landmass has now reduced to 650 sq km posing a severe threat to its existence. 

Surrounded on all sides by the Brahmaputra, the conventional porcupine method has failed to prevent a sizeable chunk of land from being washed away every year in Majuli. Tiny habitational islets have sprung up in an irregular manner in some parts but the worrying point is the threat to the core landmass that houses all the sattras, the nerve centre of the rich Vaishnavite traditions in the island. 

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) decides on the cultural sites to be recommended and it dashed off a reply on June 28 explaining the long-term measures being initiated to conserve the place. Additional information was also sought by the UN agency on the legislations giving protection to the place, the sattras and on whether the island was a major spot for migratory birds. 

With a mixed population of around one-and-a-half lakh, Majuli was one of the noted centres in Assam where Sankardeva preached and initiated social reform in the 16th century. 

The government, in its dossier submitted to the UN agency last year, argued that Majuli was ‘‘an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement or land use, which is representative of a culture, especially when it has become vulnerable to the impact of irreversible changes.’’ Other justifications were given explaining its ‘‘exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization’’ and why it deserved to be a World Heritage site. 

So far, 29 sites from the country have been declared as World Heritage sites and India incidentally is a member of the selecting committee at the conference this year. The decision is by ‘‘consensus’’, which is usually taken to mean the support of around 17 countries of a total of 21. 

Headed by Basawati Mukherjee, the four-member Indian team could be hard-pressed to answer why a legislative measure is still not in place. A member said, ‘‘The chances could brighten if Assam is able to pass the bill granting protection before Majuli is examined. The state government is planning to table it on July 10 but it does not necessarily mean that hopes would be dashed if the process is delayed. It could be examined next year again along with the new nominations.’’ 

The other members of the team are ASI director-general C. Babu Rajiv, director K.P. Poonacha and Prof Nalini Thakur from the School of Planning and Architecture. 

It may be mentioned that Majuli’s nomination was decided as far back as 2003. The dossier was ready by February next year and the state government was given a copy immediately that explained the need for a bill to be passed in the Assembly. The issue was soon put on the backburner and it was only after the ASI sent a letter last month that the process was activated by the Tarun Gogoi government. 

As many as 37 new sites would be proposed for inscription on UNESCO World Heritage list this year. The World Heritage Committee would review 27 cultural sites, eight natural sites, two mixed sites and three transboundary sites presented by 30 countries. UNESCO’s 1972 Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage protects 812 properties of ‘‘outstanding universal value’’. This year, the World Heritage Committee will also examine the 34 sites currently on the list of World Heritage in Danger. These include the Minaret and Archaeological Vestiges of Jam in Afghanistan, Cologne Cathedral in Germany and Garamba National Park in Congo. 

India’s tentative list to be proposed in future 

• Red Fort, Delhi 

• Sri Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar, Punjab nKalka-Shimla Railway 

• Matheran Light Railway 

• Ancient Buddhist Site, Sarnath, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 

• Buddhist Monastery Complex, Alchi, Leh, known as Alchi Chos-Kor 

• Dholavira: a Harappan City, Kutch district, Gujarat 

• Golconda Fort, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh 

• Group of Monuments at Mandu, Madhya Pradesh 

• Hemis Gompa 

• Kangchendzonga National Park 

• Mattanchery Palace, Ernakulam, Kerala nNamdapha National Park ·Rani-Ki-Vav (The Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat nTemples at Bishnupur, West Bengal nTomb of Sher Shah Suri, Sasaram, Bihar nWestern Ghats (sub cluster nomination) 

• Wild Ass Sanctuary, Little Rann of Kutch   


UNESCO to consider Majuli
World Heritage List 
NEW DELHI, July 7: Asom’s famous Majuli, the largest river island in the world and the cultural capital of the State for past 500 years, is among 39 new sites from 30 countries, which will be considered for inclusion in the World Heritage List by the UNESCO at its 30th annual meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania, beginning tomorrow. 
So far, 21 cultural and five natural sites have been inscribed from India on the Heritage List. 
The 39 new sites, which will be considered for inscribing on the UNESCO World Heritage List, comprise 27 cultural sites, eight natural sites, two mixed sites and three trans-boundry sites presented by 30 countries, including Azerbaijan, Austria, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Ethiopia, France, Gabon, Gambia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Malaysia, Mauritius, Poland, Spain, England and Syria. 
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee will also examine the extension of three sites already inscribed in Nepal, Serbia and Sweden. 
In addition, the Committee will review the 34 sites currently on the List of World Heritage in Danger. These are sites that face serious threat from a variety of causes such as pollution, pillaging, war, poorly managed tourism and poaching. Till date, UNESCO’s 1972 Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage protects 812 properties of ‘outstanding universal value’. These include 628 cultural, 160 natural and 24 mixed properties in 137 coultries. UNI

Cabinet to work for Majuli World Heritage status

GUWAHATI, July 7 – The State Cabinet in its meeting here today decided to work for wresting the World Heritage Site status for the river island Majuli. For the purpose, it has also decided to remove zealously all the hurdles that may come on the way of the island’s attaining this gleaming status, official sources here said. The State Cabinet also discussed the budget proposals prepared for the current fiscal by the Finance Department. It needs mention that the budget session of the State Assembly is scheduled to commence from July 10.

Majuli protection work to be completed soon

NEW DELHI, May 25 – The first phase project envisaged for protection of Majuli Island from flood and erosion being executed by Brahmaputra Board is scheduled to be completed by the current fiscal, the UPA Government has claimed. The State specific report, titled ‘Two ears of achievements in States and Union Territories’ released to mark two years in office mentioned that the Scheme sanctioned last January is estimated to cost Rs 41.28 crore.

In order to systematically address concerns related to floods and consequent damages, critical flood control and anti-erosion scheme in Brahmaputra and Barak Valley has been approved with 90:10 Central-State share of Rs 150 crore has been kept for States of North-east and West Bengal. The Scheme is executed by the State Governments and monitored by the Brahmaputra Board, the report said.

Listing the achievements of the UPA Government, the report said that in a bid to give thrust to rail projects, status of national project has been accorded to the project of conversion of Lumding-Silchar-Jiribum and Badarpur Baraigram railway line from metre gauge to broad gauge with the completion target by March 2009 at a cost of Rs 1,500 crore.

The Gas Cracker project at Lepetkata with Gas Authority of India (GAIL) as main promoter was approved by CCEA on April 18 at a cost of Rs 5,460.61 core along with capital subsidy of Rs 2138 crore during construction period of five years and of feedstock subsidy of Rs 908.91 crore during operational period after five years up to 20th year.

The Guwahati Trade Centre is being set up by ITPO at a cost of Rs 17 crore besides Rs 73.10 crore has been released for improvement of sports infrastructure in the State at a cost of Rs 73.10 crore.

Under the Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources 187 projects at an estimated cost of Rs 1,681.44 crore have been sanctioned in various sectors including roads, bridges, power, water supply, health and education.

The North Eastern Council (NEC) has released Rs 958.86 crore for North Eastern States for various projects in the last two years.

If the mindblowing greenery and wild life have been pulling foreign tourists to nature’s paradise Kaziranga, then traditional glory is proving to be the prime attraction to take them towards Majuli. If the official statistics are to be believed, the seat of Vaishnavite culture has been luring a rising number of foreign tourists in recent times. “Finding Majuli an unexplored destination, tourists flock to the river island for first hand experience of the traditional Xatriya culture, rich and colourful

Majuli: UNESCO for pictorial proof

JORHAT, May 2: Majuli’s claim for a place in the world heritage site list seems to have gained ground with the deputation of Yannis Tirris, a photographer by the UNESCO to the island. 
Based on the report of its representative Jaga Weerasinghe on Majuli, UNESCO has deputed Tirris to take photographs of the island’s unique culture and history.
According to reports, Weerasinghe, a Sri Lankan archaeologist and an expert with the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMS) who visited the island for three days in November last year for a technical evaluation of the parameters on the basis of which the largest inhabited river island was seeking the coveted world heritage site status, was impressed by its cultural mosaic, especially the xatriya culture and the neo-Vaishnavite religious tradition dating back to the 15th century.
Tirris, who is to take back pictorial proof of the island’s vast treasure trove and unique heritage, arrived on April 28 for a 10-day visit.
The photographer will take pictures of the cultures of the Misings, the Deoris and the other tribes that inhabit Majuli, the ancient manuscripts, sculptures and other artefacts stored for centuries in the Vaishnavite monasteries.

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2005 01:58:04 AM]

Majuli gets UNESCO aid for Heritage push