Speakers: Deepak Prasad Shrestha (chief priest of the Trailokya Mohan arayan temple of Kathmandu Durbar Square), Dr. Safalya Amatya (former director general of the Department of Archeology), Prof. Sudarshan Raj Tiwari (Historian and conservation architect), Birendra Bhakta Shrestha (chairperson of the Campaign to Rebuild Kasthamandap), Ganapati Lal Shrestha (heritage activist), Bhesh Narayan Dahal (director general of the Department of Archeology) and Pabitra Bajracharya (people’s rights activist) The program was conducted by heritage activist Sumana Shrestha.
RECPHEC was invited the community leaders to attend a program on “Mass meeting to pressurize the government against concrete reconstruction of heritage sites” . A large gathering of people listened to the experts and community leaders at this open interaction event organized to debate the process adopted by the government to rebuild heritage monuments. Bhesh Narayan Dahal, the Director Generation of Archeology was the only government official to join the discussion. The chief executive of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City was also invited, but did not show up. Organized by a coalition of local social organizations and individuals who are sensitive about their cultural heritage, this open discussion questioned the suitability of the prevailing government system of awarding heritage reconstruction contracts to the lowest bidder. As expected, many questions were raised by speakers and members of the public about the way the contractors are destroying our ancient monuments in the name of rebuilding them, most of which went unanswered.