ABSTRACT

The role of community participation has often been underlined as crucial in heritage-making and safeguarding, especially in the case of intangible cultural heritage (ICH), but has not been put into practice effectively. This paper critically examines the practice of community participation with respect to the UNESCO recognised ICH, Kalbeliya dance of Rajasthan state in India, and its impact on Kalbeliya dance and dancers. Drawing on interviews with Kalbeliya dancers, non-dancers and government officials, the findings reveal minimal participation of Kalbeliya community and show that the Indian state plays a dominant role right from the nomination of Kalbeliya dance as intangible heritage to its safeguarding. Through the case of Kalbeliyas, the paper analyses the scope of agency and power, given to heritage practitioners for their heritage safeguarding by the UNESCO, and the challenges it faces at the ground level. It further discusses how the neglect of heritage bearers or practitioners from the practice of heritage-making and safeguarding can become a source of their marginalisation along social, economic and political axes which can also be detrimental to the sustenance of any ICH.

摘要

社区参与的作用经常被强调为遗产创造和保护的关键，特别是在非物质文化遗产 (ICH) 的情况下，但尚未有效付诸实践。本文批判性地研究了与联合国教科文组织认可的 ICH、印度拉贾斯坦邦 Kalbeliya 舞蹈相关的社区参与实践，及其对 Kalbeliya 舞蹈和舞者的影响。通过对 Kalbeliya 舞者、非舞者和政府官员的采访，调查结果显示 Kalbeliya 社区的参与度极低，并表明从 Kalbeliya 舞蹈被提名为非物质遗产到对其进行保护，印度政府发挥了主导作用。本文通过卡尔贝利亚斯的案例，分析了代理和权力的范围，教科文组织为遗产从业者提供的遗产保护，以及它在基层面临的挑战。它还进一步讨论了在遗产制作和保护实践中对遗产承载者或从业者的忽视如何成为他们沿社会、经济和政治轴被边缘化的根源，这也可能不利于任何非物质文化遗产的维持。