India, China in talks over joint UNESCO nomination for Xuanzang's work, Pg6

Key Highlights:

• India and China are in advanced discussions for a joint UNESCO nomination of 'The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions', a work by Chinese Buddhist monk Xuanzang.
• This initiative is part of a broader effort by BRICS countries to file joint nominations for various UNESCO lists to accelerate heritage safeguarding.
• India is also pursuing joint UNESCO nominations for Panchatantra with Iran and Satyagraha with South Africa.
• The proposal for Xuanzang's work is led by China and supported by India, currently under consideration by India's Ministry of External Affairs.
• These deliberations took place during the recent BRICS Culture Working Group meeting, chaired by India in Varanasi.

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Detailed Insights:

• Xuanzang, also known as Hiuen Tsang, was a 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk and scholar who spent 19 years traveling through India, studying at Nalanda University and documenting the region's political, social, and religious practices.
• His detailed travelogue, 'The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions', serves as a crucial historical source for understanding 7th-century India and Central Asia.
• Joint nominations offer a strategic advantage by allowing countries to bypass the typical limit of two dossiers per nation during UNESCO's two-year cycle for heritage lists, thereby speeding up the safeguarding process.
• The BRICS Culture Working Group meeting, held in Varanasi, focused on strengthening cooperation in cultural heritage protection and exploring collaborative approaches for safeguarding shared cultural legacies.
• Discussions at the meeting covered opportunities for joint nominations across UNESCO's World Heritage Convention, Intangible Cultural Heritage, and Memory of the World programme.
• This collaborative stance marks a shift from past instances, such as the differing claims by India and China over Sowa-Rigpa for UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
• The Panchatantra fables have a significant presence in Persian literature for over 1,500 years, making Iran a suitable partner for a joint nomination.
• Satyagraha, Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy of non-violent civil resistance, is recognized as a global model for political emancipation and civil resistance.

Key Concepts Involved:

• UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization): A specialized UN agency promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences, and culture.
• Intangible Cultural Heritage List: A UNESCO list recognizing practices, expressions, knowledge, and skills that communities identify as part of their cultural heritage.
• World Heritage Convention: An international treaty adopted by UNESCO in 1972 for the protection of cultural and natural heritage sites of outstanding universal value.
• Memory of the World Programme: A UNESCO initiative established in 1992 to preserve and provide access to documentary heritage globally.
• BRICS: An intergovernmental organization comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Indonesia, fostering multilateral cooperation.
• Xuanzang: A 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, and traveler renowned for his extensive pilgrimage to India and his detailed travelogue.
• Panchatantra: An ancient Indian collection of animal fables, attributed to Vishnu Sharma, known for its moral and political teachings.
• Satyagraha: Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy and practice of non-violent resistance, a pivotal strategy in India's freedom movement.
• Sowa-Rigpa: A traditional Tibetan system of medicine, recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage, with historical significance in both India and China.