RSS affiliates Vidya Bharati, Sanskar Bharati start 'cultural Mapping'

A new initiative termed “cultural mapping” of the country has begun under Vidya Bharati and Sanskar Bharati, Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh’s education and culture arms.Representatives of the two RSS affiliate organisations confirmed the move and said it plans to identify and record the details of artists and artisans across India in one unified database. They confirmed that they had begun the survey last month and were working with the Government on it.

Ramendra Singh, director of Vidya Bharati, said the project would bring out the soul of the country. “We have no documented data on the growth or decline of traditional arts or on how our artists are doing. The database will be a source material about them and how they can be supported or promoted when needed,” he said.

It is for the first time that such an exercise has been undertaken by an organisation and fits in well with the Sangh and its political wing, the ruling BJP’s narrative of cultural nationalism in which India’s traditional arts, music, dance and draft are part of the mosaic that defines India. They are hoping that marrying technology with this endeavor in an age of data analytics will help make many of India’s traditions accessible and boost their longevity.

Raghuvindra Tanwar, Professor Emeritus, History of Kurukshetra University expressed concern that due to absence of organised effort for arts, cultural arts is being lost with each generation. He said though it is a mammoth task but this will rejuvenate the cultural bonding of this great nation and feeling of national character will strengthen in the coming generations.