[Assam] Centre redrafts dossier on Majuli

[Pradip Kumar Datta]

Centre redrafts dossier on Majuli
  
>From Kalyan Barooah Assam Tribune
 NEW DELHI, Feb 22 – The Majuli River Island may be touted as the World’s largest river Island, but it is Marajo Island in Brazil that enjoys the status. Part of the State of Para, the second largest state of Brazil, Marajo, is an island located where the Amazon river meets the Atlantic Ocean.

The ‘misrepresentation’ by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had almost cost Majuli River Island the status of World Heritage Site in 2006, after international experts raised objection. 

A foreign expert, who vetted the Project on behalf of the UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre, had remarked in his report that a simple internet search, would reveal that the status of being the world’s largest river Island goes to Marajo River Island, and not Majuli Island, to the embarrassment of the Indian experts, sources involved with the project told this newspaper.

The Government of India has since, quietly made some changes in its dossier. Majuli is now described as among the world’s largest Riverine Islands. 

Marajo, with a land area of 40,100 km, is the largest island to be completely surrounded by freshwater. Although its North Eastern coastline faces the Atlantic Ocean, the outflow from the Amazon is so powerful that the sea at the mouth of the river is almost unsalted for some distance from shore. Situated on the Equator line, Marajo Island is also re-nowned for its pottery and for its herds of buffaloes, which are the largest in the country.

On the other hand, Majuli Island has an area of about 1080 sq. km and is located in the Brahmaputra Valley. Another account quoting official records say Majuli Island covered 925 sq km in 1971. The Brahmaputra Board claims it is 880 sq km now. The Space Application Centre, Allahabad, using remote sensing data, also came up with similar conclusions. 

Meanwhile, projects to safeguard Majuli River Island from floods and erosion may yet to take off, but prospects of the river island making it to the list of World Heritage List under the category of ‘Cultural Landscape site’ has brightened.

Majuli Island and Kalka-Shimla Railway are India’s nominee for the year. A meeting of the World Heritage Committee is scheduled in June at Quebec, Canada. Majuli Island had failed to make it in 2006, when the River Island was put on Deferred List. It was later revised and put on the Referral List. 

An official involved in the process of preparing the dossier told this newspaper that all additional information sought by the World Heritage Committee have been supplied and River Island fulfils all the criteria to earn a slot in the World Heritage List.

The ASI, which acts as the nodal agency for nomination of Indian sites on the World Heritage List, prepared a detailed dossier with the help of consultants and experts and has submitted the additional information, official sources said.

If inscribed, Majuli Island will be first world heritage site in India under the ‘cultural landscape’ category, which contains both cultural and natural components. 

This would be recognition of the culture that has been able to survive for the last 500 years without any change, said an expert involved in the project.

Sources said for the first time ever all the stakeholders including the satradhikars would part of the decision making process for protection of the River Island. The stakeholders have been empowered under the Majuli Cultural Landscape Region Act 2006. A Majuli Cultural Land Region Authority has been constituted.

India’s nominations submitted to the World Heritage Centre on February 5 would be vetted by at least three technical expert committees. In case of Majuli Island, it would the ICOMOS, sources said.

Last time, the River Island’s case was not endorsed because of the delay in supplying the additional information including promulgation of the Act by Assam government.

An unimpressed UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre had sought information on relevance of the Satras and its impact on cultural landscape, the impact of climate change on the Majuli Island, a detailed inventory of the Satras, its architectural pattern and its flora and fauna. Besides, a risk preparedness assessment for floods and erosion was also sought.

Last October, the Prime Minister had called a high level meeting to take stock of the progress of the documentation, attended by Union Tourism and Culture Minister, Ambika Soni and Union Water Resources Minister, Prof. Saifuddin Soz. 

India currently has 27 World Heritage Sites, 22 of which are Cultural and five Natural. Red Fort was the most recent addition to the list last year. 

Majuli Island has been seen as the cradle of Assamese culture and a centre of the neo-Vaishnavite movement. It has 31 Satras, which are institutions of culture and education, and are also the main repositories of the cultural resources of Majuli.


       
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