The Goa Heritage Action Group has on Thursday announced that the group, hitherto focussed mainly on architectural heritage would expand its attention to on intangible heritage comprising the arts, language, traditions, agricultural practices and natural heritage. The group’s honorary secretary Raya Shankhwalker lamented the “massive destruction of traditions including dying art forms and agrarian practices” over the last decade and more. He said that the GHAG with its new and expanded focus will try to document these traditions and disseminate this information to others and show its importance. It’s a tall order, no doubt, but a start has been made.
A lush green field is more than just a source of income for a farmer and his family, which he will earn at the time of harvest. In fact, Goa’s khazan lands and traditional fields are more than just our heritage tangible and intangible. Much of what has characterised Goa for centuries is indeed based on agriculture.
A lush green field will make our living environment better, improve the tourism experience and in general make the state more attractive, without any of us individually having to make any ‘contribution’. Even as both the tourism and real estate industries continue to monetise their proximity to fields.
What we instead have is our fields increasingly being filled to make way for gaddas and shops selling cement products, which will eventually make way for even more damaging uses of the fields. With Goa moving forward from an agrarian economy, across the state and more so in Bardez fields and khazan lands are being clandestinely filled at an alarming rate without anyone as much taking notice of it.
The newly reconstituted committee of the Goa Heritage Action Group has its task well cut out. And while it is not their responsibility alone, the very fact that they realise it is a problem is a huge step in the right direction.
A more effective way to preserve this agrarian, religious and artistic heritage is to monetise it. Just as adaptive reuse of heritage structures helps save them while also making money, similar initiatives should be thought of to preserve the agrarian heritage. Would it be too far fetched to ask that hotels pay a ‘royalty’ to keep the fields green especially since it will give their guests a better experience in and of Goa? This or any similar measure could be an added incentive for farmers to continue cultivation while tourists and residents have a better experience. One hopes that the GHAG can take the initiative.
