Prem Khatry

This is reporting time, again. The city convened to important events this week-- the Second China-South Asia Literature Forum, 2019 on the topic of Trans-Himalayan Cultural and Literary Connectivity, 15-20 October, 2019, and the UNESCO declared International Intangible Cultural Heritage Day, Oct 17. This review is designed because both these events revolve around the common theme Culture, a special interest area of study and research for the scribe.
The writer's first orientation with the theme of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) was at Nepal Academy, Kamaladi back in the late 2050s when NA assigned the task as the chief advisor, meaning thereby, the editor, to compile a survey listing the ICH of Nepal. A mega project was created and launched right away from the Eastern Development Region. At the end of the fiscal year, a clear picture was at the desk. This success encouraged the efforts further and a second project started from the Far-west Development Region. Disaster spelled before the conclusion when the country headed toward the new, republican phase through struggle spilled around institutions like NA. The work took few years to complete yet it saw the light of the day.
With the successive years on, ICH became an agenda of the government and UNESCO Nepal. International experts trained scores of Nepalis from different ethnic community, ministry and ethnic organisations. That has continued till date. In a culture of diversity in the field of culture and nature, work pace has been slow. The creation of federal structure has further confused the people and government machinery as to who should plan and continue the inventorying of culture. And to facilitate the Federal ministry and UNESCO with a national cultural profile in a standard form. A faster way out to solve this program is considered important for further, concerted activities.
On October 17th, 2019, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation organised the ICH Day amidst host of activities. Minister Yogesh Bhattarai, Centenarian living heritage Satya Mohan Joshi and representatives from UNESCO/Nepal and different ethnic groups and organisations together made the event not only colourful but meaningful.
Satya Mohan Joshi, the qualified maestro in the field of Nepali culture explained at length on all the important aspects of Nepali culture. He emphasised the need to hand over the heritage to the new generation for the sustainable development of the nation. As an encyclopedia of Nepali culture, Joshi's words have always the spirit of his blessings and encouragement to the government officials, the scholars and the performers alike.
Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai highlighted the need of preservation and continuity of Nepal's traditional culture. He appreciated the way the ladies from Dhading not only made the procession and the hall colourful but mesmerised the audience through their panchaibaja – five major traditional instrument tunes normally played by the so-called untouchables in rural Nepal on occasions such as marriage, family rituals and other auspicious occasions. They sang and danced on the theme of the Day wishing ICH movement a success in preserving Nepals' traditional heritage.
Speeches aside, the cultural performances showing the real ICH of Nepal in brief was the appreciable work managed by the Sanksritik Samsthan led by its acting chief, Prabhakar Dev Sharma. Samsthan artistes did their best representing the colourful nature of Nepali folk songs and music from the Tharu, Satar, Newar and Sherpa communities. The Aryatara dances opening the rest was fully flawless, natural and combined with the lines of the ancient test sung side by side by another groups of artistes – male on one side and females on the other. Rest of the Samsthan artistes played traditional drums, flutes, etc. to enhance the quality of dances.
That China is coming a bit 'aggressively' the western world has pondered. Their move to gherao China from all possible directions has not shown any sign of progress. In fact, not the West but China has gheraoed the continents through their commercial, cultural and security nets, and increasingly so. China' Belt and Road Initiative is taking momentum possibly against the parallel 'Pacific' initiative.
This week the Second China South Asia Literature Forum, 2019, convened in Kathmandu demonstrated the motive and strength of Nepal-China bilateral as well as SAARC level relationship with its multilateral functions. There were papers on the theme from both sides of the Himalaya. Besides Nepal and China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Maldives and Sri Lanka took part in the five day seminar.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, while opening the gala gathering, highlighted the BRI as a movement to bring necessary change in the existing culture of the region, and noted, the Himalayan region is the source of all forms of knowledge.' 'The Buddhist scholar Buddhabhadra set a new trend in cultural relations between our nations,' NA's Chancellor Ganga Uprety stressed the role of NA to link SAARC nations in the days to come.
Chinese scholars Li Qiang, Li Xiaodong, Lu Min and Zhao Xuanpu threw light on culture in the modernisation context and linguistic diversity in South Asia. All scholars focused on the need to promote culture exchange in the days ahead. Finally, both events mentioned succinctly here gave the audience and the academia of Nepal through the media a food for thought to preserve ICH through all means, to strengthen the weakening status of SAARC culture and to study and play role in the growing nature of Sino-Nepal cultural relations.

(Former Dean of Humanities & Social Sciences, TU and Fulbright scholar from University of California, Khatry writes on cultural issues)