Kathmandu: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Badri Prasad Pandey, has announced that the reconstruction of heritage sites in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Patan Durbar Square, which were damaged by the earthquake, has successfully restored them to their original status. This achievement, according to Minister Pandey, signifies that the culture of development is progressing in the right direction.
According to National News Agency Nepal, Minister Pandey addressed a seminar organized by the Nepal Academy in collaboration with the Religious and Cultural Journalists Society, where he emphasized that there were no significant challenges faced during the reconstruction process due to the adequate availability of human resources. He also highlighted that mere infrastructure development is insufficient for sustainable progress if cultural aspects are neglected.
Chancellor of the Academy, Bhupal Rai, underscored the importance of promoting culture positively, suggesting that cultural diversity should be acknowledged to achieve development. Member-Secretary Dr. Dhan Prasad Subedi remarked that discussions like these are essential as cultural issues have often been overshadowed by physical development priorities.
During the seminar, Prof. Dr. Som Prasad Khatiwada presented a working paper titled ‘Culture for Development.’ Commenting on the paper, Prof. Dr. Nirmala Pokharel advocated for advancing development in accordance with Vedic culture. Another commentator, Bhogi Raj Chamling, pointed out that problems have arisen because development-related laws and policies are not aligned with cultural values.
Chairperson of the Society, Purna Prasad Mishra, concluded the seminar by stating that such discussions would continue with the collaboration of relevant bodies, aiming to further integrate culture into the development agenda.