Nitin Singhania Test: Law and Culture & Martial Arts in India - UPSC MCQ

This article focuses solely on the defence of the culture of those communities that constitute the minority according to the Constitution of India. According to the Constitution: "Any section of the citizens residing in the territory of India or any part thereof having a distinct language, script or culture of its own shall have the right to conserve the same". As this quote clarifies, this allows communities like the tribal populations of Chattisgarh, Rajasthan, North-Eastern regions, Odisha and numerically small groups like the Parsis to take steps to preserve their culture, language and literature. It also confirms that their right to receive help from the State and any state-funded agency to receive grants and State funds to conserve their heritage. It also makes the distinction that no citizen shall be denied assistance from an institution maintained by the state on grounds of their religion, caste, language, race or any of them.

Ancient Monuments Preservation Act, 1904: The British Government instituted this Act to provide effective preservation and authority over the monument to the government so that it can protect the national herit articularly concerned with those monuments that were in the custody of individual or private ownership.

The Central Government and the owner shall sign an agreement for the conservation of any protected monument. This also stops the owner from adding on to, demolishing, altering or disfiguring the monument. In case of selling the land on which the monument stands, the government would have the first right to purchase the land. The Ancient Monuments Preservation Act, which was first enacted in 1904, was amended in 1932 to be Ancient Monuments Preservation (Amendment) Act. Furthermore in 1958, the Central Government enacted The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Site and Remains Act to broaden the kind of sites in urban and rural archeological settlements, which can be covered under this law. Further, the Parliament also formulated The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010 to better preserve the historic monuments and archeological sites of national importance.

The Ancient monument and Archeological Sites and Remains (Amended and Validation) Act, 2010. The main provisions of this Act are: The Central Government has the power to declare any monument or archeological site of ancient and medieval times as a repository of national importance. The Director General will have the authority from the Central government to presume the guardianship, purchase or take lease of any such site or monument and ensure its preservation and maintenance. The Act also provides the Government and Director General the power to antiquities for their preservation, control the movement of the objects; demand acquire compensation or levy penalties for damage to land, object, monument, etc.

Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972 This Act was enacted for the effective control over the movable cultural properties of any type of art objects and antiquities. The Act is one step forward to control the illegal trade in Indian antiquities and to prevent smuggling and fraudulent dealings. Some of the most important points from the Act are

• Any object; sculpture in stone, terracotta, metal, ivory; manuscripts and paintings in paper, wood, cloth, skin, etc. which have been produced before 100 years or more, are considered to be 'Antiquities'.

• Any person, other than an emissary of the Central Government or someone with the authority from the Central Government, cannot export antiquity. If caught doing so, it would be considered illegal.

• Those who want to sell, purchase or rent antiquities have to obtain a license from the Central Government. They should also register their business with the registering officer and obtain a certificate.

• If anyone is caught exporting an art treasure or an antiquity without the right licenses, they are liable for punishment. Usually the punishment will include a minimum three-month jail term which can stretch to three years along with a hefty amount of fine.

Kalaripayattu: One of the oldest martial arts in India, Kalaripayattu, although practiced in most parts of southern India, originated in the state of Kerala in the 4th century A. D. Kalari, a Malayalam word, refers to a specific type of school/gymnasium/training hall where martial arts are practiced or taught (in this case it's Kalaripayattu). According to legends, sage Parasurama, who built temples and introduced martial arts, started Kalaripayattu. This art form includes mock duels (armed and unarmed combat) and physical exercises. Not accompanied by any drumming or song, the most important aspect is the style of fighting.

Pari-khanda: Pari-khanda, created by Rajputs, is a form of martial art from Bihar. It involves fighting using a sword and shield. Still practiced in many parts of Bihar, its steps and techniques are widely used in Chhau dance. In fact this martial art forms the basis of Chhau dance in which all its elements are absorbed.

The name of this martial art consists of two words, 'Pari' that means shield while 'khanda' refers to sword, thus the use of both sword and shield in this art.

Lathi: An ancient armed martial art form of the country, Lathi also denotes one the world's oldest weapons used in martial arts. Lathi refers to a stick' (usually cane sticks), which is generally 6 to 8 feet in length and sometimes metal tipped. Indian police can be seen using such Lathis to control crowds. It is majorly practiced in Punjab and Bengal.

Inbuan Wrestling: A native martial art form of Mizoram, Inbuan Wrestling is believed to have its genesis in 1750 A.D. in Dungtlang village. It has very strict rules that prohibit stepping out of the circle, kicking and knee bending. The way to win this is by lifting the opponent off their feet, while stringently adhering to the rules. It also involves catching the belt (worn around their waist) by the wrestlers. This art form was regarded as a sport only after the people of Mizoram migrated from Burma to Lushai hills. Kirip, Saldu - originated in Nicobar - also known as Nicobarese Wrestling.

Kuttu Varisai: First mentioned in Sangam literature (first or second century B.C.), Kuttu Varisai translates to empty hand combat'. Kuttu Varisai is mainly practiced in Tamil Nadu, although.it is quite popular in north-eastern part of Sri Lanka and Malaysia too. An unarmed Dravidian martial art, it is used to advance athleticism and footwork through starching, yoga, gymnastics and breathing exercises. The major techniques used in this art include grappling, striking and locking. It also uses animal based sets including snake, eagle, tiger, elephant and monkey. It is considered as an unarmed component of silambam.

Silambam: Silambam, a kind of staff fencing, is a modern and scientific martial art of Tamil Nadu. The kings which ruled in Tamil Nadu, including Pandya, Chola and Chera, had promoted it during their reign. The reference to the sale of silambam staves, pearls, swords and armour to foreign traders can be found in a Tamil literature known as Silappadikaram, which dates back to the second century A.D. The silambam bamboo staff was one of the most popular trading items with the traders and visitors from Rome, Greece and Egypt. This art is believed to have travelled to Malaysia from its originating State, where it is a famous sport apart from being a mode of self-defence. The long-staff was used for both mock fighting and self-defence. This was one of the highly organized and popular games of the state since the first century A.D. The record of its origin can be traced to divine sources, for example Lord Murugan (in Tamil mythology) and sage Agastya are credited with the creation of Silambam. During the Vedic age, training was imparted to young men as a ritual and for an emergency. From a pure defense art, Silambam has transformed into a combat exercise. There are four different kinds of staves used in this art. The first, called torch silambam', has lighted balls of cloth at one end of the staff, second produces a sonorous swishing sound, the third is a non-elastic staff that gives clattering sounds and the fourth is quite short yet powerful. As far as the dress is concerned, the players wear langots of different colors, Turbans, sleeveless vests, canvas shoes, and chest guards and use wickerwork shields.