Dubbed ‘The Century Man’, Satya Mohan Joshi has written 34 books and has been awarded three Madan Puraskar in his long literary career. At the age of 98, he recently released his new book, Nepali Kala ko Ruprekha, which deals with the evolution of ancient and medieval Nepali art, with a special focus on Nepali sculptures. In this conversation with the Post’s Samikshya Bhattarai, Joshi talks about his new book and the importance of Nepali art and local languages. Excerpts:

Can you tell us about your new book, Nepali Kala ko Ruprekha?

Nepali Kala ko Ruprekha is a brief history of Nepali art, spanning from the second century up to the Shah regime. The book delves into the evolution of sculpting as a fine art in the history of Nepal. The book has tapped into six different kinds of sculpture art-stone sculptures, bronze sculptures, clay sculptures, ivory and bone sculptures and wood sculptures. This research-based book outlines the background and history of each type of sculptures alongside the changes in their popularity over time. I have tried to encapsulate how the society affected the art forms and vice versa.  

Why did you choose to publish this book now?

Today, we have different kinds of contemporary art form in our country. However, most of them are not our own, they are imitations of foreign art. Most of these art forms didn’t originate in Nepal. Artists are doing a great job with those art forms, but we do have our own art forms which make a part of our identity.

I wanted to make Nepali artists realise the importance of our own original art forms and why it’s necessary to preserve them. That’s how the book came about. Our history is rich in art and culture that come with its own set of techniques and style. 

You have been dubbed ‘The Century Man’, what are your thoughts on this?

Even though I am just 98, I have been given the title of ‘The Century Man’. I still have two more years before I actually live a century. The title feels like a ‘grace mark’ in an exam. While I am honoured by the title, I believe that living a long life holds little value unless you are able to contribute to the community in one way or the other. I consider myself a lucky man, as even at this age I am capable of doing something and contributing, even if in little ways. Living a long and healthy life is definitely a blessing, you get to witness a century worth of evolution. I have not only seen my offspring and their offspring grow and succeed, but I have seen the whole society move forward. In all these years, I have been able to see the fruits of the seeds I sowed. I am grateful for having been blessed with this long life. 

You are a cultural expert who has written books in both Nepal Bhasa and Nepali. However, indigenous languages, Nepal Bhasa among others, are rapidly falling by the wayside. What do you think should be done to promote indigenous languages?

Nepal Bhasa and many other indigenous languages have been discriminated against for a long time now. After democracy came to Nepal in 2007 BS, all the indigenous languages were limited in practice just inside their own small communities which has hampered the development of these languages. Now with the new constitution, even though it mentions all the languages are equal, nothing has been implemented. This lack of concern by the government has caused indigenous languages to be endangered. Actions taken at the government-level is the only solution to this problem. The government should establish schools where students will be able to learn their own language and make books available in these languages too. Also, local language should be given priority in media houses to promote these languages. Authors should also contribute their bit by writing books in their language to promote it.

Unless, these languages are promoted by the government, by authors, by publishers and are embraced by the communities once more, there is a real danger of them disappearing altogether within one or two generations. It is a matter of grave concern for the concerned communities, the nation at large and for our diversity.