Last Updated on December 7, 2025 11:18 pm by BIZNAMA NEWS
Staff Reporter
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India’s motto of Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi is a commitment to ensure that modernization and urbanization strengthens culture rather than erasing the cultural roots. He said, India is ensuring that no tradition, no practitioner and no community remain invisible or unsupported.
Mr Modi said this in his message at the inaugural of UNESCO’s 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in New Delhi. He said that for India, heritage has never been a matter of nostalgia, but is a living flowing river of continuous stream of knowledge, creativity and community.
The Prime Minister said that India’s civilizational journey has been shaped by the understanding that culture is not enriched only by monuments or manuscripts but it thrives in the everyday expressions of people such as festivals, rituals, arts and craftsmanship. He added that Intangible heritage carries the moral and emotional memories of societies, shaping identity, fostering harmony, strengthening the sense of belonging and transmitting traditional knowledge that may not be found in books. The Prime Minister further highlighted that UNESCO has played a transformative role in building a shared global framework for safeguarding intangible heritage and India is proud to have several elements inscribed on UNESCO’s list. Mr Modi underlined that the UNESCO 2003 convention created a sense of global responsibility and the committee’s work has given visibility and respect to communities whose traditions formed the backbone of human creativity.
Mr. Modi futher asserted that it’s a moment of great pride for India to host the 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage and said that the session will work as a bridge between ancient inheritance and modern aspirations.
India is hosting the 20th session of the Inter-governmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage-ICH from tomorrow till 13th of this month at Red Fort in New Delhi. India has nominated Diwali – the festival of light, brotherhood, compassion, and collective celebration – as its submission for the UNESCO Intangible heritage list this year.
