A good number of folklorists, writers, scholars, folk performers and lovers of folk arts and literature, assembled recently at Chandigarh and Simla, and resolved that folklore, being the truest expression of people’s culture and ethos, was the most important part our cultural heritage. It was resolved at the SAARC folklore festival and seminar, organised by the Foundation of SAARC folklore festival and seminar, organised by the Foundation of SAARC Writers’ and Literature (FOSWAL).

Over 200 delegates from eight SAARC countries, namely India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, along with folklore artistes from respective countries, participated in the three-day festival. The main objective of the festival was to bring together the cultural activity of tangible heritage of SAARC countries, and bonding of the people of these countries, as roots of all cultures lie in their folklore, in their folk songs, fables, folktales, folk paintings, folk crafts, folk dances, folk theatre, myths, legends and gradmothers’ tales.

In this era of globalisation, when communities and countries feel that their local cultures are being swept away, and languages are dying out, it is high time to establish cultural links strengthened by organisation like Foswal, the only SAARC apex body in the field of culture and literature.

The folk performances included groups from Afghanistan, Fakirs and Malangs of Pakistan, Lubna Mariam’s group of Bangladesh, Peacock dance troupe from Nepal, folk performers from Sri Lanka, Maldives and Bhutan. Indian folk performers included Yak dance from Arunachal, Purna Das Baul’s group from West Bengal, Hafiz Nagma group from Kashmir, Kalbelia from Rajasthan, and many others.

A seminar was also held on the occasion, participated by eminent scholars and folklorists from eight countries. The Indian participants included Mahasweta Devi, Dr Kapila Vatsayan, Dr Abid Hussain, Prof Mushirul Hasan, Dr Ashok Vajpayee, Prof K Sachitanandan, Ajeet Cour, Jaya Jaitley and others.

The festival ended with resolutions urging the SAARC secretariat to take initiative to establish an autonomous folklore foundation, with its headquarters in one of the SAARC countries, and branches in all others, working to create awareness of folklore forms in SAARC countries through audio and video documentation, to promote comparative studies on folklore through seminars, conferences, and performances, to help folklore studies departments in universities, etc.

Incidentally, the non-government organisation, the Foundation of SAARC writers and literature, has been working since 1975, with the vision of cultural bonding in the SAARC region, besides socio-cultural activities.

“We are the dreamers of the SAARC region. Let the government do their political and diplomatic work. Let us, the writers and the creative fraternity of the region, endeavour to create bridges of friendship across borders and beyond borders”, says Ajeet Cour, the founder visionary writer, social activist and cultural impressario.

FOSWAL started working of ‘Intangible Heritage’ of the SAARC region, which include folklore, Buddhism and Sufism.

Mentionably, there is a Folk Art Museum and a Miniature Museum in Academy of Fine Arts and Literature at 4/6 Siri Fort Institutional Area, New Delhi, where over 500 folk and tribal paintings and sculptures, and about 200 very old miniature paintings are on permanent display. Collected over several decades by the family of Ajeet and Arpana Cour, with Arpana carrying the tradition forward, these museums represent the best of folk tradition in arts and crafts.

A Aroop Kashyap