“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”
Marcus Garvey
HECS, INTACH ( Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) conducted a training workshop for teachers in Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Faridabad on 19 April 2024, which was enthusiastically attended by 56 teachers from 53 schools. Ms Garima Jagpal Singh of The Indian School-Second Shift participated in the workshop.
The session began with an introduction to INTACH and HECS by Ms Purnima Datt, Principal Director of HECS. A short INTACH film was screened to further describe to describe the scope of the organisation.
The first session about Delhi’s history from 1805 to 1847, was conducted by historian and author, Dr Swapna Liddle. She covered in detail the evolution of Delhi during this period, the changes that occurred, and the development across various fields. She emphasised that understanding history is important to understanding the concept of heritage.
The next session, conducted by historian, professor and author, Prof A.G.K. Menon, was equally compelling. Prof Menon spoke about the built heritage of Delhi and the role of citizens in protecting it. He highlighted the need for modernity and heritage to go hand in hand and urged the governing bodies to include the city's rich cultural heritage in their development plans.
The third session was conducted by Mr Manu Bhatnagar, Principal Director of the Natural Heritage Division. He spoke about the rivers of India, focusing on the Ganga and the multitudinal economic opportunities that she provides to the locals living in her vicinity. He also emphasised the impact that modernisation has had on the river and how it has endangered the natural ecosystem.
The final session was an online session conducted by Dr Shiela Bora, Convenor, INTACH Assam State Chapter. Dr Bora stressed the importance of the river Brahmaputra for the state of Assam. She gave a brief introduction to the origin of the river and how it is harnessed by the locals for daily activities. She further enlightened the listeners about the Kaziranga National Park, and discussed poaching of the endangered one-horned rhinoceros.
Last but not the least, Ms Purnima Datt and Mr Abhishek Das briefly explained the activities planned for the current year. The workshop came to an end with a felicitation ceremony, where certificates and books were presented by Chairman, Maj Gen. (Retd.) L.K. Gupta.
The workshop proved to be an eye opener for all the attendees and enriched the teachers about the significance of spreading awareness and safeguarding the heritage of India. It enabled the teachers to become better facilitators, who would inculcate in children a sense of responsibility for our national heritage from a very young age.
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