The research course will explore the intersection of human and non-human rights, environmental and social justice with nature/culture conservation through case studies, academic critiques, media (print and visual) and couple of guest lectures. It is designed for students of law and public policy. The larger aim is to enable critical conversations on need for more inclusive and equitable forms of heritage protection and the role of the law in achieving this goal on-ground.

As a group we will examine the nuances and entanglements of cultural/natural heritage with conservation on-ground and the law – including the management of protected forests, wildlife, biodiversity, nature, archaeological and cultural sites/monuments, intangible heritage and indigenous people and cultural property restitution. We will discuss the use of relevant rights frameworks to protect heritage, to advance political goals, for e.g. recognition of indigenous peoples’ rights, and ways in which laws might hinder communities and non-humans.

The class will review the historical context encompassing the breadth of conservation, the impact of protection regimes and relevant rights frameworks. The sessions are designed to first introduce a few core concepts of heritage, conservation and rights and subsequently trace the trajectory of rights-based approaches to conservation, including, cultural heritage protection, recognition of intangible heritage, rights of indigenous and resident communities living in and around protected sites, cultural property restitution, heritage and conflict, animal rights and rights of/for nature. We will also touch on emerging developments in this area.

Rather than adopt a didactic model the course is designed to be student-centric and to facilitate critical, interpretive thinking through interdisciplinary approaches. For instance, seminar style discussions of academic readings and case studies to encourage debates on whether the law facilitates or hinders heritage protection and the rights of communities and non-humans or both? Each session is designed in two parts: the class will discuss international developments and then move onto case studies from the Indian sub-continent.