Folk Culture
MINISTER for Information and Communications Shiva Raj Joshi, while
inaugurating the "Deuda Society" the other day, called for attention from all
sectors concerned to the importance of folk culture like Deuda which represents the way of
life, feelings and sentiments of the people of Far and Mid-Western Regions of the country.
Nepal, according to cultural anthropologists, is a virtual treasure house of folk
cultures. This is because Nepal, over these centuries, has become the home to diverse
races, tribes and communities, all of which having their distinct identities. Almost all
these communities still adhere to their distinct socio-cultural practices, norms and
beliefs. This, in turn, has greatly enriched the very societal fabric of the nation with
their diversity. Additionally, one unique feature of this socio-cultural diversity is that
all these communities, despite their adherence to their own folk cultures, have been
living in peace and harmony until the present time. This uniqueness is what sets Nepal
apart from many nations that are home to diverse races, tribes and communities.
Yet, not all seems to be going well in the nation’s unique folk cultural
front. For, notwithstanding the diverse communities’ strong adherence to their folk
cultures, some communities are undoubtedly facing some amount of challenges in preserving
their unique identities. This has come about due to the inexorable encroachment of foreign
socio-cultural influences, mostly beamed into their homes through foreign satellite
channels. And, to some extent, from foreign films and publications. Such challenges are
bound to surface, thanks to the rapid advancements in the field of information and
communication technologies. As such, it has become next to impossible to halt these
foreign influences from making inroads in the nation’s unique folk cultural front.
However, what is also true is that until and unless efforts to preserve the various folk
cultures for posterity are not forthcoming, then the nation as a whole would be left much
the poorer in terms of its socio-cultural diversity. As such, if the nation’s unique
folk cultures are to be preserved for posterity, then it behoves upon all sectors to not
only forward their co-operation but, more importantly, to work in a co-ordinated and
concerted manner.
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