On 5 June, in observance of World Environment Day, the Birla Academy of Art and Culture in collaboration with INTACH Calcutta Chapter, hosted a discourse on one of the world’s most vital ecosystems. The talk, titled “Need for Conservation of Natural, Tangible, and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Sundarban,” was delivered by the well-known historian Dr. Swapan Kumar Mondal.
Native of the Sundarbans, Dr. Mondal brought a unique blend of lived experience and academic rigor to the forum. Drawing from years of exhaustive research, he traced the Sundarbans’ evolution through ancient folk tales, from spiritual and cultural connection between the people and the wilderness. Delving on the region’s economic history, the legacy of migrant business communities and their impact on the landscape. He stressed on the need for critical balance between human survival and natural resource preservation.
For Sundarbans, preserving the human legacy is just as crucial as protecting the flora and fauna. Dr. Mondal’s talk served as a powerful reminder that the Sundarbans are not just a forest, but a living museum of India’s natural and cultural heritage.
