Union culture minister calls for reinventing of museums to stay relevant

Today India’s 1000+ museums are instrumental in not just showcasing and preserving the cultural Heritage, but also educating future generations, said G Kishan Reddy, the union culture minister, at the recent launch of a two-day summit in Hyderabad, which concludes on February 16.

The summit, titled ‘Reimagining Museums in India’, saw the participation of countries such as India, Australia, France, Italy, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States.

The summit inauguration event was also attended and addressed by Alberto Garlindini, president of International Council of Museums; Weber Nodoro, director-general of International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of the Cultural Property and Lily Pandeya, joint-secretary, ministry of culture.

While addressing the summit, Reddy said, “India is a land of rich cultural heritage and this needs to be preserved, propagated and perpetuated. I believe our museums provide a wonderful medium to achieve these goals.”

He also highlighted the role of other ministries and departments in promoting and upgradation of the museums present across the country. He said, “The Government of India is also developing 10 museums on tribal freedom fighters to recognise their contribution in our freedom struggle and is continuing to support specialised museums such as Textiles and Crafts museums, Defence Museums and Railway Museums.”

While recognising the efforts of the ministry of culture, Reddy added that the ministry is working on an inclusive model that involves artists, museum professionals and educators and places them at the core of the museums in the country. Our museums need to reinvent themselves to be relevant for the 21st century in the new digital age. We need to ensure that our museums are more accessible so that our citizens can own them like their own parks and playgrounds.”