TALKING POINT Whose Inheritance?

Abstract

The visual culture forming part of India’s ‘inheritances’ is staggering in scale, diversity and range. However, we need further comprehensive documentation, publications, and innovative steps like museums devoted to ‘heritage’ and popular visual cultures etc., and a national archive of heritage monuments, accessible to all. Further, while sites and art belonging to ancient and medieval times get attention other periods, like treasures of the nineteenth century, are often overlooked.

In part, the social mind-set and attitude towards art reinforced by an imbalanced system of education, is to blame. Art is equated with hobby or entertainment, and rarely with vocation or profession. There is also a clear division between verbal and visual cultures. Most educated people are brought up on verbal cultures; a few respond to performing arts and only a fraction are visually literate. A people’s movement for a cultural resurgence free of chauvinistic objectives is required. Such a movement could counter the consumerism and brutalization that seems to have swept the minds of a growing generation. It could be a national agenda.