Decades may have passed but Nabin Shakya still remembers his father, back in his hay days making elaborate plans with his team to renovate various palaces. Sometimes their project was a couple of minutes walk away in Basantapur whereas other times they would have to make long trips to Nuwakot or Gorkha. As is the case with many craftsmen and artisans of the country, the pride of being entrusted with such an important task and the excitement of employing their artistic skills to preserve cultural heritages were what encouraged Shakya to follow in his father’s footsteps.
Today he is one of the most sought after fine wood artists in the country and recently he was also reelected as the executive member of Nepal Hastakala Mahasangh. But when asked about his plans to help with the reconstruction process of the earthquake affected World Heritage sites, disappointingly, he says he doesn’t have any yet. What he does have though are some concerns.
“Ancient art has immense value and we have obviously suffered great loss in that respect. Now to salvage what’s left of the ruins of our cultural heritages, there is a need to recruit skilled manpower to carry on the reconstruction. This involves experts in the field of stone, metal, wood craft as well as proficient painters. The quality of work is of paramount importance but the way Department of Archeology (DOA) are going about it, I’m not satisfied,” states Shakya.
It’s an issue the Nepal Hastakala Mahasangh has already raised with the DOA. Still little change has been made to the department’s plans.
As Suresh Shrestha, Head of World Heritage Conservation section explains the DOA is taking the responsibility to estimate the full cost of the reconstructions. After the cost estimate has been finalized, they will make a public announcement and private firms/contractors can make their bid for the specific site. Those who take on the task must then assemble a team of workers as well as artists who fulfill all the criteria set by the DOA. In the last month, some work has even been allotted in this manner.
Shrestha claims they can guarantee the quality of personnel involved and the work carried out. “There will be strict supervision on our behalf. Those who get the tender will have to abide by our rules and instructions. They will also have us around to consult with. We too don’t intend on compromising on the standards of our cultural heritages,” assures Shrestha.
On paper it might sound as a solid plan, however, the likes of Shakya in the artists’ community are skeptical. They wonder how agencies completely oblivious to the culture and art involved in the construction of cultural monuments can direct these kinds of projects. The disadvantages, Shakya believes, starts from the word go; from locating artists with specific skills to judging their level of expertise. Then there is the question of their dedication. As is often the case with tender systems, will deadlines and profits end up becoming the priority?
These are matters that have been bugging Kabi Tuladhar as well. Hailing from Bungamati, he grew up amidst artists and the craft. He has had more than a decade’s experience in working with metal and statues. After witnessing the damages that various temples had suffered in the earthquake, a couple of months ago, he even decided to take up basic trainings on rebuilding such places of worship, in particular their doors.
“Our forefathers didn’t use any nails while engineering the temple doors and believe it or not, they were stronger. Obviously not many know of this and these days, we have also stopped using such techniques. However, for the reconstruction I believe it is necessary that we relearn these things. Such nuances are what make our cultural heritages unique,” says Tuladhar.
The training apparently was a difficult one but now armed with new skills he is ready and eager to help with the reconstruction process. However, such offers have not come his way. He cites not knowing the right people as the reason. But there is one opportunity he doesn’t want to miss. As a local, he feels the responsibility to help with the renovation of the Machindranath temple of Bungamati. But so far, it looks like that might not happen.
“Our community would happily bid for the tender to take on the reconstruction works but according to the government’s system, we need a license to make a bid. Further, there are different kind of licenses for different A, B and C classes of tenders. None of the artists here in Bungamati have such licenses so despite having the skill, the will and the legacy to help out with the reconstruction process, we simply can’t,” says Tuladhar.
At the moment, it looks like some other company and workers might get the right to work on the Machindranath temple. Folks from the area don’t want that. Bungamati Hasthakala group has even put forth these concerns to the DOA. Now they are waiting for some kind of verdict from the department.
This is the sort of provision that is putting off many artists from participating in the reconstruction works despite the fact that their families have been engaged in the occupation for generations. Shakya says that such contract system is causing the DOA more harm than good.
“The relationship between the DOA and the various families involved in the craft has been sore for almost 10-15 years. It began when they started bringing contractors. I remember the days when we would work on amanat (daily labor wages) and everybody worked honestly and diligently. Bringing in people from outside as contractors, and letting them earn more commissions and profits have without a doubt compromised the work,” says Shakya.
These are issues that Shrestha, from the World Heritage Conservation section is well familiar with. He has heard it before and more recently after the earthquake from the Nepal Hastakala Mahasangh itself. He agrees that the role of artists in the reconstruction process of our destroyed cultural heritages is crucial. The DOA is also relying on artists from the Nepal Hastakala Mahasangh for their cooperation but the department has its own obligations.
“As a government body we have to follow the set rules and regulations. The bidding system as a whole is being carried out on basis of the Public Procurement Act. The reconstruction and rehabilitation authorities need to be consulted on this matter. It isn’t our decision alone,” explains Shrestha.
The good news is that these are still early days. The need for solidarity hasn’t been lost either on the artists or the DOA. They agree that they need to work together. The only question is how?
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