INTACH Delhi Chapter Heritage Award 2022: To encourage and appreciate the younger generation to save heritage
The central idea of the INTACH Delhi Chapter awards is to recognize, honour and encourage institutions and individuals for work done to increase awareness of heritage. The recognition is for work among the general public, or among public and private institutions, to directly or indirectly increase appreciation and awareness of the rich tangible and intangible heritage of Delhi. It is also to encourage and demonstrate that their efforts are recognised. The idea was to encourage and also appreciate the efforts made by the younger generation as well in saving the heritage.
Profile of the awardees:
Mr. Sohail Hashmi: Mr Sohail Hashmi is a man of profound scholarship in Heritage, literary talent in English, Urdu and Hindi and is a well known writer – filmmaker on matters of culture. He is an educator and communicator in Built Heritage, culture and city history. As a storyteller he has kindled a sense of history among young children and adults alike for the past 15 years. Mr Sohail Hashmi conducts the most popular heritage walks in Delhi and has been a long associate of INTACH Delhi chapter. He is a one-man institution who has spawned many Heritage Clubs amongst school children and is credited with conscientising many generations across the economic spectrums in Delhi.
‘Friends of Heritage- Mr. Samegh Batra’: ‘Friends of Heritage’ is an institution headed by Mr. Samegh Batra. Two decades ago they began the restoration and Adaptive Reuse of the Kutub Sarai which triggered a culture movement around the Qutub Minar, where intelligent investments began to flow to create an extended environment that celebrated Heritage. ‘Friends of Heritage’ led by Samegh Batra has pioneered corporate support to Heritage. They have supported the ASI in its efforts to light up the Qutub monuments, Restored and Reused the Heritage Bookstore. They campaigned against pesticide use and encouraged nesting of indigenous birds, worked extensively with school children and as a friend of INTACH Delhi chapter, partnered with the Delhi Chapter of INTACH for many awareness programmes/ campaigns including regular cycle tours in the Mehrauli area.
TALENT AWARDS: ‘Talent’ is a unique organization that practices traditional Storytelling based on local narratives of the old city of Shahjahanabad. It’s a collective of young and dynamic people working in areas of Heritage, Health, Environment, Education and Technology with Performing Arts. Their work has helped restore the pride people have in the Heritage of their own neighbourhoods, streets and general urban environment.
The’ Talent’ group has helped revive the ancient Storytelling art of Quissa-Goi, local to Shahjahanabad. The ‘Talent’ groups efforts to revive the micro-histories of the old city to create a collective consciousness and pride in the residents is a commendable, unique effort driven by the youth of the city. The inclusive nature of their activities and their acute sense of history embedded in the micro histories of the marginalised in an already neglected Purani Delhi goes hand in hand with INTACH Delhi Chapters latest project that documented the unlisted heritage of Shahjahanabad.