नेपालमा रैथाने शिल्पकला तथा संस्कृति बचाउन विश्वविध्यालय स्थापना गर्ने तयारी

Exclusive: नेपालका विभिन्न रैथाने जात, जाति, आदिवासी जनजाति र समुदायहरूका विभिन्न सीप, कला/कौशलको संरक्षण, प्रवर्धन र पुस्तान्तरणको निम्ति नेपाल सरकारको राष्ट्रिय संस्कृति नीति २०६८ तथा राष्ट्रिय शिक्षा नीति २०७६ मा व्यवस्था भए अनुसार रैथाने शिल्पकला तथा संस्कृति विश्वविध्यालय स्थापना गर्ने तयारीको लागि नेपाल सरकारको सम्बन्धित निकायहरूमा आशयपत्र र प्रस्ताव बुझाईएकोछ। उक्त विश्वविध्यालय स्थापना तैयारी समितिका संयोजक नेपाल सरकारका पूर्व सचिव तथा हाल प्राध्यापन पेशामा संलग्न डा. मान वहादुर बिकेको नेतृत्वमा गएको टोलीले शिक्षा मन्त्री देवेन्द्र पौडेल, संस्कृति मन्त्री प्रेमबहादुर आले मगर, युवा तथा खेलकुद मन्त्री महेश्वर जंग गहतराज, राज्य मन्त्री उमेश श्रेष्ठ, शिक्षा राज्य मन्त्री बोधमाया कुमारी यादव र मुख्य सचिव शंकर दास बैरागीलाई आशयपत्र र प्रस्ताव हस्तान्तरण गरेको छ।

नेपालका रैथाने जात, जाति, आदिवासी जनजातिहरूको जनसंख्या ४८ प्रतिशत रहेको छ जस मध्ये आदिवासी जनजातिहरू ३५ प्रतिशत र तथाकथित दलित समुदाय १३ प्रतिशत रहेको छ। सो तयारी समितिका अनुसार नेपालका १२५ आदिवासी जनजातिहरूका २५० भन्दा बढी परम्परागत पेशाहरू र दलित समुदायको २३ वटा परम्परागत पेशाहरू चलिआएकोछ। उनीहरूको परम्परागत ज्ञान, शिल्पकला र संस्कृतिहरूको जगेर्ना र पुस्तान्तरणको निम्ति प्रस्थावित रैथाने शिल्पकला तथा संस्कृति विश्वविध्यालयको स्थापनाले महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका खेल्ने विश्वास गरिएकोछ।

नेपाल सरकार, मन्त्रीपरिषद् बाट मिति २०७६।७।१८ मा स्वीकृत “राष्ट्रिय शिक्षा नीति, २०७६ “ को नीति १०.२४.३ अनुसार, “नेपालको आफ्नै मौलिक कला र संस्कृति चित्रकला, मूर्तिकला, काष्ठकला, प्रस्तरकला, परम्परागत कला एवं प्रविधि, विविध बाद्यबाधन, विभिन्न गीत, संगीत तथा नृत्यलाई समेटेर विशिष्टतामा आधारित कला तथा संस्कृति विश्वविद्यालय वा एकेडेमी मार्फत विदेशी विद्यार्थीहरूलाई आकर्षित गरिनेछ ।” उल्लेख गरी व्यवस्था गरिएकोछ।

त्यसैगरी, नेपाल सरकारको “संस्कृति नीति २०६८“ को ८.११. अनुसार “परम्परागत भौतिक लोककला एवं शिल्पकला उत्पादन गर्ने मौलिक सीप र प्रविधिको संरक्षण र व्यवसायीकरण गरिनेछ ।” उल्लेख गरी व्यवस्था गरिएकोछ।

रैथाने शिल्पकला तथा संस्कृति विश्वविद्यालय स्थापना सम्वन्धमा संचार टिप्पणी

हिमवत्खण्ड नेपाल वैदिक कालदेखि नै विभिन्न ऋषिमुनीहरूबाट ज्ञान, योग र ध्यान सृजनाको केन्द्र रहिआएको स्थान हो। मानव सभ्यताको विकासक्रममा यहाँका विभिन्न रैथाने जाति र समुदायहरूलेविभिन्न किसिमका सीप, कला/कौशलको विकास तथा मानव संस्कृतिको निर्माण गरी आजको आधुनिक युगसम्म ल्याउन महत्त्वपूर्ण योगदान पु-याउँदै आएका छन्। तर आधुनिकता सँगसँगै भूमण्डलीकरणका कारण यस्ता वैदिक ज्ञान तथा रैथाने सीप, कला/कौशल र संस्कृति ओझेलमा पर्दै गएका छन्। यससँगै नैतिक मूल्य/मान्यताहरूका साथै मानवतामा नै ह्रास हुँदै गएको छ । न त हाम्रा शैक्षिक संस्थाहरू यसको खोज, अध्ययन, अनुसन्धान मार्फत संरक्षण र संवर्धन गर्न तदारुकताकासाथ लाग्न सकेका छन्।

मिति २०७८ भाद्र ३० गते यस विषयका जानकार व्यक्तित्वहरूको उपस्थितिमा भएको छलफलबाट यो विषयलाई अगाडि बढाउन नेपाल सरकारका पूर्व सचिव तथा हाल प्रध्यापन कार्यमा संलग्न डा. मानवहादुर बीकेको संयोजकत्वमा एक तैयारी समिति गठन गरी प्रा.डा. विध्यानाथ कोइराला, प्रा.डा. गोविन्द टण्डन, डा. द्रोण प्रकास रसाली, डा. गोपाल दहित, डा. महाविर पुन, डा. मदन परियार, डा. उत्तम गौली, डा. पासाङ डोल्मा शेर्पा लगायतका व्यक्तित्वहरू सल्लाहकार रहने व्यवस्था गरिएको थियो। उक्त समितिले विभिन्न चरणमा विषयविज्ञहरु संग छलफल गरी राष्ट्रिय संस्कृति नीति, २०६८ तथा राष्ट्रिय शिक्षा नीति २०७६ मा व्यवस्था भए अनुसार रैथाने शिल्पकला तथा संस्कृति विश्वविध्यालय स्थापना सम्वन्धमा तयार गरेको आशयपत्र र प्रस्ताव शिक्षा मन्त्री मा. देवेन्द्र पौडेल, संस्कृति मन्त्री मा. प्रेम बहादुर आले, युवा तथा खेलकुद मन्त्री मा. महेश्वर जंग गहतराज, राज्य मन्त्रीमा. उमेश श्रेष्ठ, शिक्षा राज्य मन्त्री मा. बोधमाया कुमारी यादव र मुख्य सचिव श्री शंकर दास बैरागीलाई हस्तान्तरण गरिएकोछ।

नेपाल सरकारले नीतिगत रूपमा उद्‌घोष गरिसकेको विषय भएकोले प्रस्तुत गरिएको आशयपत्रअनुसार विश्वविध्यालय स्थापनाको प्रक्रिया संवन्धित निकायबाट अगाडि बडाइने आश्वासन प्राप्त भएकोछ। प्रस्तावित ‘रैथाने शिल्पकला तथा संस्कृति विश्वविध्यालय हिमाल, पहाड र तराई-मधेशमा रहेका विभिन्न जातजाति र समुदायहरुको रैथाने सीप, मौलिक ज्ञान र संस्कृतिको संवर्धन गरी नेपालको मौलिक पहिचानलाई अन्तराष्ट्रियरुपमा अभिवृध्दि गर्दै मुलुकलाई मानवीय नैतिक मूल्यमान्यतासहित समृध्द र आत्मनिर्भर बनाउने महत्वपूर्ण शैक्षिक संस्था हुने विश्वास गरिएको छ।

रैथाने शिल्पकला तथा संस्कृति विश्वविध्यालय’ स्थापनार्थ तयारी समिति

संपर्क: समितिका सदस्य सचिव डा. गोविन्द नेपाली (९८४८३४९८१८)

मिति: फाल्गुन १०, २०७८

Concept note on

Establishing Academic Institutions for NativeArtifacts and Culture

Summary: Nepal is a country of diversity with Dalits (13% of population) and indigenous people (35%) who have their own cultures, traditional knowledge, skills and occupations. In fact, around the world, these are the drivers of human civilizations over ages, inventing weapons, agricultural equipment, clothing, housing, health healing and even the community-ruling mechanisms. Certain occupations have specific ritual, ceremonial or spiritual dimensions or functions. Sadly, in Nepal, many of these traditional skills and knowledge are under threat and disappearing. Despite Nepal being rich in traditional knowledge, skills and culture, no academic institutions exist to protect and promote such important knowledge, skills and culture as yet.

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Nepal is a country of diversity with Dalits (13%), indigenous people (35%) and tribal communities who have their own cultures, native knowledge, skills and culture. In fact, these are the drivers of human civilizations over ages, inventing weapons, agricultural equipment, clothing, housing, health healing and even the community-ruling mechanisms. Certain occupations have specific ritual, ceremonial or spiritual dimensions or functions which institutionalize the culture. There is a deep divergence in trends around the world, while it is clear that a majority of native artifacts and culture were in decline.

However, it is observed that there has been a trend of restoring the practice of such native artifacts and culture in their communities. It is no doubt that the sacrifice made by these communities is incredible for advancing human civilizations. And whatever inventions are coming up in the modern-era, they are originally based on those native knowledge and skills. Nevertheless, throughout the passage of advancing civilizations, they remained as the working class and deprived of socio-economic advantage due to the systemic barriers, such as apartheid, casteism, racism, colonialism, imperialism etc. The modernizations especially the open market system through globalization captured and distorted such native skills, knowledge and culture for the benefit of few.

Nevertheless, there are some shining examples of efforts to preserve such native knowledge, skills and culture. In the USA before the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the state had established black colleges and universities to serve the black communities as there was the principle of ‘equal but separate’. Even now they are recognized as the historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) the first one being Alabama State University established in 1867.

Several such HBCUs had been established as land grant universities. United States designated land-grant university (also called land-grant college or land-grant institution) to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 signed by President Abraham Lincoln which focused on the teaching of practical agriculture, science, military science, and engineering. A 1994 expansion gave land-grant status to several tribal colleges and universities. Today’s giant universities like MIT, Michigan State University, Alabama University, Cornell University etc have been evolved through land-grant scheme. Even today the US Department of Education has identified 107 colleges and universities as the HBCUs. The community colleges are complementing to the agenda of HBCUs in USA.

Likewise, similar practices are also found in the European countries. Even recently a PhD scholar Ms Melz Owusu has been campaigning to establish a Free Black University in UK to “redistribute knowledge”. In India there are more than two dozens of universities and colleges in the name of Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar.

However, despite Nepal being rich in native knowledge, skills and culture, there are no such academic institutions focusing on it. CTEVT has the mandate for technical education and vocational training but it has not been able to incorporate such skills in its curriculum. Dr. Mahabir Pun, the Roman Magsaysay Award (2007) winner has established the ‘National Invention Center’ especially for advancing technical innovation, however, it does not have the academic courses.

Though Nepal Open University was originally conceptualized for inclusive education for remote, rural and marginalized people, once it was established through the state law, it simply adopted to regular courses for all as a distance learning institution.

In Nepal, indigenous people (125 groups) are estimated to account for approximately 35 percent of the country’s total population with some 250 traditional occupations. Likewise, out of 13 percent of the population around 42 percent of Dalits are still engaged in their twenty-three traditional occupations associated with them. So, these ancestral arts and artifacts were not only the lifeline of the people but historically the pillars of the civilizations and the backbone of the state economy. It is the concept to restate and strengthen the local systems that could be the cornerstone for contemporary federal Nepal, a path forward for the socialism oriented economy, i.e. liberal socialism.

With this background at least an academic institution is needed to generate and redistribute emancipatory knowledge based on critical race theory as the ‘critical caste theory’ that can transform the world into an egalitarian green society, explore history and create knowledge on Native Artifacts and Culture, reimage the identity of Native communities in an egalitarian social status; and preserve, promote and commercialize their native knowledge, skills, arts and culture for the country's prosperity.

Its overall objective would be transforming people into an equitable green society in new-normal world. The specific objectives of the envisioned institution are as follows;

● Preserve, promote and innovate the ancestral arts and artifacts associated with the Nepal’s Native-community.

● Provide practical base of learning on native knowledge, skills and culture associated with the Native-communities.

● Create special sphere on native artifacts and enhance access to the scholars from the Native communities in higher education.

So, our motto goes as follows:

● Our work: For our generations to come

● Our action: For our nation to rebuild

● Our exploration: For our history to count on

● Our achievement: For prosperity of the people and planet

● Our innovation: For humanity beyond the status quo.

Way forward

➢ Develop initial concept paper and/or presentation to kick off the idea.

➢ Have a consultation with the associated communities and build consensus on the concept

➢ Seek advice from the pioneer academicians.

➢ Consult with the political party’s influential representatives

➢ Negotiate with concerned government agencies (Ministry of education, UGC, MoF, PRI, Provincial/Local Governments etc)

➢ Share concept with the concerned development partners, universities and institutions

➢ Explore and develop modality of the institutional set-up (Cooperative, Trust, NGOs etc)

➢ Fund raising campaigning (National and international, crowd-funding)

➢ Explore the location to start-up and get affiliation or separate faculty for the courses (LBU, KU, AU, MSU etc)

➢ Design courses and run the non-academic courses as a piloting

➢ Design courses and Start academic courses

➢ Continue advancement towards establishing a University

➢ Form a Donors’ Consortium with Multilateral and Bilateral donor community.

➢ Job outlook/occupational information (Graduates/further studies)

The matter has been discussed formally and informally several times among the associated academicians and professionals. The inclusive education including native knowledge, skills and culture are the focused areas of the State’s education policy. There are a few studies on native-artifacts. The recent one from the government side is by the Ministry of Social Development (MOSD), Karnali Province which recommends for such academic institutions. In this regards, on September 15, 2021 a consultation meeting was held with likeminded academicians and professionals. The meeting had a formal discussion on the matter and formed a committee to move forward for exploring the way out. This concept paper is developed based on the discussion on the meeting.

So, let’s put our effort for building prosperous, dignified, egalitarian, green society dedicating to our ancestral artifacts and culture.

Man Bahadur Bk, PhD

(Former Secretary of GoN, Former Fulbright Scholar)

Convener of the Committee

9/29/2021