Nepal, a back ward country in terms of physi cal infrastructure development, is at a crossroad as far as preserving its culture and civilisation is concerned. We all are being influenced by the cult of consumerism. Nepalese culture, which is an ageless tradition, is under attack from many quarters - not only western values but also the dark side of our own caste system. Many youngsters find it hard to take the best of our Nepali traditional values and combine it with the positive values of western thought.
Cultural globalisation
Culture is all aspects of human life, the sum total of signs, beliefs, artefacts, social arrangements and customs created by human beings. It is the pattern of behaviour and thinking that people living in social groups learn, create and share. Culture distinguishes one human group from another.
Cultural globalisation has now created a great threat to many national cultures and languages. Invasive language, literature and culture are promoted by the greater nations as being essential for work or economic activity. This can be seen in our present-day costumes, rituals and folk literature. Consequently, culture, a distinctiveness of our national identity, is now fast disappearing, and the cultural components are being overshadowed by foreign imitation.
However, it would be foolish to blame others. The question is how conscious are the people and the government about preserving and promoting our national art and culture. We should not forget that we ourselves must make efforts to preserve the essence of folk culture and literature; merely showing concern would not serve the purpose.
The government and the organisations concerned should come up with a concrete and desired policy and effective plan to preserve Nepal’s diverse cultures, sources of creation and priceless legacy of historical and traditional assets. As culture and development are closely interlinked, since all kinds of evolution, including human and economic, are ultimately determined by cultural factors, cultural policies need to develop a broader meaning. It needs to go beyond the current narrow focus on the arts, promoting and fostering creativity in politics and governance and encouraging multicultural activities. We have to work to connect all the different cultural policies and consider them from a new perspective.
Culture is a means of human growth and empowerment, and in order to achieve sustainable development, economic, financial and social reforms have to be addressed from a cultural perspective. Since culture represents a crucial means of self-definition, to provide individuals with traditions and continuity with the past, cultural policies should aim at providing the maximum opportunities for all people, encouraging ethnic, cultural and individual diversity.
Because diversity can be a source of strength, cultural policies should advocate and support cultural freedom, the very basis of a pluralist society. Cultural freedom, by protecting alternative ways of living, encourages creativity, experimentation and diversity, the very essence of human development. Indeed, it is the diversity of multicultural societies and the creativity that make such societies innovative, dynamic and enduring.
While talking about cultural policy, let us not forget that all cultures are essentially equal, and society should not promote any one as being superior to others. Diversity is a social asset, requiring protection and nourishment. In our increasingly diverse societies, it is essential to ensure harmonious interaction among the people and groups with plural, varied and dynamic cultural identities as well as their Nepal, a back ward country in terms of physi cal infrastructure development, is at a crossroad as far as preserving its culture and civilisation is concerned. We all are being influenced by the cult of consumerism. Nepalese culture, which is an ageless tradition, is under attack from many quarters - not only western values but also the dark side of our own caste system. Many youngsters find it hard to take the best of our Nepali traditional values and combine it with the positive values of western thought.
Social skills
Unless and until there are national level efforts, one cannot expect any sort of development regarding preservation and development of Nepali culture. Therefore, the government should come up with a concrete and desired policy and effective plan to this effect. Culture in the broad sense provides the bedrock for education of the human mind, social skills, cohesion and long-term economic entrepreneurship.
(Vijaya Chalise is Editor-in-Chief of the Gorkhapatra Daily)
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