UNESCO’S MEMORY OF THE WORLD’S REGIONAL REGISTER
Three Indian literary works:
- Ramcharitmanas
- Panchatantra, and
- Sahṛdayaloka-Locana
Were added to UNESCO’s Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register during the tenth meeting of the Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP), held earlier this week in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
This is the first time since the MOWCAP was formed in 2004 that India has sent any nominations, and all three sent by the country have been accepted.
REASONS FOR INCLUSION
The inclusion of the three works in the register highlights the significance of preserving and celebrating diverse narratives and artistic expressions that shape our shared humanity.
- The texts were picked due to their enduring worldwide appeal. For instance, the Ramayana and Ramcharitmanas are read in not only India but also in other Southeast Asian countries such as Cambodia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia.
- The Panchatantra fables were zeroed in owing to their universal moral values.
- The 15th-century Sahṛdayaloka-Locana, by Kashmiri scholars Acharya Anandvardhan and Abhinavagupta, was chosen because of its aesthetics.
ABOUT MEMORY OF THE WORLD REGISTER
- UNESCO’s MOW programme is an international cooperation strategy aimed at safeguarding, protecting, and facilitating access to and the use of documentary heritage, especially heritage that is rare and endangered.
- According to its charter, UNESCO launched the initiative in 1992 “to guard against collective amnesia”.
- The programme recognises documentary heritage of international, regional and national significance, maintains registers of it, and awards a logo to identified collections.
- It facilitates preservation and access without discrimination.
- It campaigns to raise awareness of the documentary heritage to alert governments, the general public, businesses and commerce to preservation needs and to raise funds.
- Inscription on the register affirms the significance of the documentary heritage, makes it better known, and allows for greater access to it, thereby facilitating research, education, entertainment, and preservation over time.
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