Govt short shrift to culture cash cow

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, Dec 31

The government is giving a short shrift to culture, inarguably, the bedrock of the nation's identity. Though the world recognises and fetes Nepal for its fascinating and intriguing social mores, the powers-that-be back home seems to have no time for such 'trivial pursuits'.

It may be recalled that culture was incorporated with the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation in 2000. Earlier, it was a part of Ministry of Education although the Culture Division was established in the country 50 years ago. The ministry got a new nomenclature--the Ministry of Culture and State Restructuring-- on August 31, 2008. When the UML-led government assumed office on May 23, several new ministries like Federal, Constituent Assembly and Parliamentary Affairs and Culture were all clubbed together. Consequently, culture took a backseat, lost in the maze of sundry unrelated ministries looking into novel areas of governance.

What did the department do through the year? "Precious little except making a few appointments," admitted Jala Krishna Shrestha, joint-secretary, the Ministry of Federal Affairs, Constituent Assembly, Parliamentary Affairs and Culture (MoFACAPAC). Shrestha has been candid enough to point out the lacunae. "The spirit of work has been diluted since the Ministry of Culture has been accommodated with other portfolios. Preservation of our rich heritage hasn't been the focus through the last couple of years," he reasoned.

Ironically, little work was done in the allied sections of the ministry as in Federal, Constituent Assembly and Parliamentary Affairs. The ministry has become virtually defunct if the senior civil servant's assertions are anything to go by. Consider the unity in diversity in Nepal. The nation is home to around 100 ethnic and indigenous groups with their own unique culture. The constitution, however, recognises only 70 indigenous and ethnic communities. Besides, there are 10 World Heritage Sites, including seven in the Kathmandu Valley, as per the UNESCO list. Of these, eight are cultural sites and the rest showcase nature and wildlife.

There is also clearly an overlap of governance when it comes to culture. For instance, the Ministry of Local Development has been handling monastery management. The Ministry of Home Affairs looks into organising various festivals and Hajj Committee for Muslims. The Ministry of Land Reforms has an assigned role to play in running the Guthi (Trust). While, the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works is engaged in construction of the shrines. The ministry of Finance is entrusted with Kaushi Tosha Khana, which loosely translates to funds collected from cultural bodies. "However, the achievements are less than satisfactory," said Shrestha.

To make matter worse, the tourism sector is holding sway over cultural affairs for long. Jaya Ram Shrestha, archeological officer, the MoFACAPAC, laid bare the conflict of interest. "There has been an increased arrival in foreign tourists in the past few years. But little effort is being made to preserve and promote our culture, which showcase our national identity," he explained.

Social mores are a complex concept with diversity of cultural practices across  the Himalayan nation. For instance, strange shamanistic practices in various communities are worth to be studied while polygamy is still rampant in the mid and Terai region whereas polyandry is practised in the Himalayan region. "Foreign tourists certainly want to lap up these intricate customs, which are often alien to their sensibilities. They have no interest in whatsoever in internal power politics," said Jaya Ram Shrestha.

The government's step-motherly treatment is all too evident in the allocation of sum for culture and archeology. It adds up to an abysmal 0.001 per cent of the entire budget. Shrestha is livid at the callousness. "We bring out the rear among Asia-Pacific nations. While, other South Asian nations allocate at least 0.01 per cent of their budget for this sector," he added.

Despite the lackadaisical approach,  the government is keen to retain control over bodies looking into cultural, religious and archeological affairs. And the fate of these bodies' heads is inextricably linked with the government's shelf life. Fine Arts Academy, Music and Performance Arts Academy, Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT), Bhakta Bhakta Janma Development Committee, Lumbini Development Trust (LDT) and Nepal Academy are some of the high-profile institutions that have been at the receiving end of political intrusion.

The erstwhile Maoist-led government drew a lot of flak for making controversial appointments in LDT and PADT. The Supreme Court annulled the appointments of priests in PADT. The UML-led coalition, too, got into the act. It tried to sack the Maoist appointee in LDT, but was thwarted by the apex court's timely intervention.

Joint-secretary Shrestha claimed that several organisations did not have a functional body since May 8, 2006. This is what and how the national heritages are neglected in the country.