Young representatives of tribal communities in the State have framed the Kochi Charter on Tribal Rights affirming their commitment to the UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage and the 2007 UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Young leaders from more than 30 tribal communities applauded the role of Kani community internationally in forming the basis of the Nagoya Protocol of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity on Access and Benefit Sharing.
Those who framed the Charter included young leaders S. Bibitha of Kadar community, K. Panali, Kurumba community, C. Vinod, Cholanaikkan community, Saji Bomman, Kattunayakan community and T.P. Soman Mooppan, Kurumba community.
The Charter is the outcome of five-day national seminar on tribal heritage to mark the United Nations International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples organised by Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, National Museum of Natural History and the India Heritage and Museum Field School (IHMFS) with the support of Edamalakudy grama panchayat, Maharaja’s College, voluntary agency Thampu, Chavara Cultural Centre, Folkland, Moozhikkulam Sala, Ernakulam Karayogam and Totem.
The Charter appreciated the importance of youth and elders in safeguarding intangible heritage in its intergenerational transmission. It lauded the youth members of Kadar (particularly vulnerable tribal group) in documenting its intangible heritage as the basis for development of a Biocultural Community Protocol (BCP).
The young leaders suggested holding workshops on intangible heritage protection and conservation in tribal dominated areas, community forest rights, biocultural community protocols, njattuvela agricultural calendars, panchayath intangible heritage registers and Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas Act.
The Charter also called for facilitating preparation of candidature files for intangible heritage for inclusion in the National List of Geographical Indication.
Kadar Oorumooppathi (village elder) Geetha Vazhachal of the Kadar community opened the concluding meeting of the workshop, which had strong support from Edamalakudy panchayat, Idukki district, which is the only tribal panchayat in Kerala.
Published - August 13, 2023 07:24 pm IST
