Serampore Girls College | Univerity of Calcutta

What Is Heritage?

According to UNESCO: Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration.

World Heritage-designated sites include the Great Barrier Reef off Eastern Australia, the Amazonian rainforests, and human artifacts like the Great Wall of China and the Egyptian pyramids. How is inclusion determined, and who decides what’s in and what’s out? Who maintains and promotes such places, landscapes, or cultures, and to what political, social, environmental, and economic ends? What impact do World Heritage inscriptions and related developments have on communities, regions, nations, or indeed on the actual heritage that is at the focus of the inscriptions?

The concept of World Heritage has always been linked to international politics, and those who are excluded, or exclude themselves, from the moral world community have invariably been excluded from decisions about World Heritage. In 1931 the International Council of Museums (ICOM) established basic principles for an international code of practice for the preservation and restoration of ancient buildings. The congress conclusions and the subsequent Athens Charter (ICOMOS, [1931] 1996b) reflected a growing consciousness about historic sites and opened up the debate about conservation issues and the nature and value of international heritage.

The 1972 World Heritage Convention:

• defines the cultural and natural heritage

• calls for national and international protection of the heritage established by the World Heritage Committee

• calls on states to submit lists

• draws up a World Heritage List

• defines World Heritage in danger

• promotes international assistance, supported by state parties

• sets up a secretariat

• establishes a fund for the protection of cultural and natural heritage

• promotes educational programs.

The fulfilment of these aims is potentially complex and, in some contexts, politically sensitive.

What is our Heritage: Our heritage is inherited from the past to value and enjoy in the present and to preserve and pass on to future generations.

Heritage is important because...

In helping shape our identity, our heritage becomes part of what we are. Our expression of this identity shows others what we value; it highlights our values and priorities.
Our heritage provides clues to our past and how our society has evolved. It helps us examine our history and traditions and develop awareness about ourselves. It helps us understand and explain why we are the way we are.
Heritage is a keystone of our culture that plays an important role in our politics, society, business, and worldview. It informs, influences, and inspires public debate and policy directly and indirectly.
Preserving (our) heritage is important because...
A local heritage project can be much more than just preserving and protecting artifacts of the past.
An important part of the Heritage Council’s work is to encourage local communities to take responsibility for and participate in the development and conservation of their heritage.
Projects to enhance local heritage have the potential to re-energize neglected areas and provide opportunities for local people to re-view, re-engage with, and re-interpret their heritage.
Such projects help generate a greater sense of pride and belonging in the local area through increased participation...and sheer enjoyment!
Crucially, maintaining and enhancing our heritage provides a basis for local economic development and innovation in tourism, agriculture, entertainment, education, and business generally.

What is Heritage Club?

The heritage club programs are designed so as to involve students in various activities geared towards heritage awareness and education. Learning a craft. Museum education & outreach programs. Training museum guides. Conservation at home and at school and Colleges.

INTACH:

The idea of setting up Heritage Clubs in schools across the country began in 2002 to make the students aware and proud of the richness of the natural and cultural heritage in their own locality, state, and country. It was done with the motive of creating awareness and participation in heritage-related activities among the students. At present, HECS has a nationwide network that includes 4000 schools in 136 cities and towns across the country. It has over 5000 members participating actively in its work.

Every student who becomes a member of the heritage club is motivated to participate in heritage conservation and to learn more about their local heritage. A student who becomes a member of INTACH Heritage Club receives:

Heritage club badge to become a part of the growing community of heritage keepers.

Heritage Club passport to identify with the Heritage Club movement.

The Young INTACH Newsletter is a quarterly newsletter for Heritage Club student members on various aspects of heritage-related news and information.

HECS organizes heritage walks for schools on a regular basis. In Delhi, walks are conducted in Lodhi Gardens, Mehrauli Archaeological Park, Humayun’s Tomb, Old Fort, Northern Ridge, Safdarjung’s Tomb, Nizamuddin, Hauz Khas, Jahanpanah and the National Museum. Many schools from Delhi have participated in these walks so far. Specialized walks for college students are also conducted by HECS.

Heritage Club of Our College:

On 23/09/2022 our college started the journey with the Collaboration of the History Department.

Our Purpose:

The heritage club programs are designed to involve students in various activities geared toward heritage awareness and education for:

• Learning a craft

• Museum education & outreach programmes

• Training museum guides

• Conservation at home and at college

• Rural heritage education and skill development

• Children’s programmes at heritage festivals

• Making films on culture and heritage

• Heritage Walks for College students

Heritage Club Members of our College are:

Students (both Honours and General) of History and other Departments of our College.

Convenor:

Sk Riajul Midde, Asst. Prof and HOD, Dept. of History, Serampore Girls’ College.

(Email ID: riajul@seramporegirlscollege.org)

Activities of Heritage Club for 2022-23 Session:

1. “Heritage Volunteer Training Programme” at Govt Gen Degree College, Singur Hooghly, on 21/9/22.

2. ‘Heritage Club Foundation Day Celebration in our College and Students Seminar’ on 21/09/2022.

3. Study Tour at Danis Governor House, Serampore Hooghly, on the occasion of ‘World Heritage Week celebration’ 24/11/2022

4. Special Lecture on World Heritage Week celebration by Sk Riajul Midde, Asst. Prof and HOD, Dept. of History, Serampore Girls’ College on the topic ‘Our Heritage our Pride’ on 25/11/22

5. International Lecture on ‘Serampore and other Colonial Cities in East India’ by Dr. Nuno Grancho (Architect, Urbanist and Historian, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, Universidad de Coimbra, Portugal) on 08/02/2023

6. Project work on ‘Know Your Local Heritage’ under the supervisor of Sk Riajul Midde, Asst. Prof. and HOD, Dept. of History, Serampore Girls College from 20/9/2022-31/01/23.

7. One-day field Visit and Workshop on the occasion of World Heritage Day Celebration on 28/04/2023. At Serampore Rajbari, Serampore Hooghly.

8. Special Lecture on ‘Sensitization Programme on Heritage Study’ by Dr. Ramanuj Konar, Assistant Professor, Sarat Centenary College and Convenor INTACH Hooghly Chapter, Organized by Heritage Club.