Kathmandu, March 22:

Artists are irked at the “step-motherly” treatment meted out to them both by the state and the Royal Nepal Academy (RNA), which they say, is stunting the growth of art and craft in the country.

Underscoring their point, artists pointed out that a recent exhibition of publications by the RNA virtually had no books on Nepali art or its history aside from a few catalogues. All attention was focussed on written literature.

The situation is attributed to the arbitrary manner in which the Royal Nepal Academy Act, 1993 has been enforced. While art, music, culture and literature are assured of treatment on a par, the major chunk of the budget — the better part of over Rs 10 million as development budget — is diverted for literature each year.

“The problem is one of stepmotherly treatment. Too much money is diverted to literature. This explains why art or music has not grown over the years,” said Thakur Mainali, head of the Arts Department. Mainali recalled the government promised an independent academy for art and music but never made good.

He said the inadequate budget had ruled out further research and more books on arts. He added that only four artists are picked up even though are as many as 30 seats in the academy. “No one bothers to divide the 30 seats among the four streams equally,” said Mainali.

Madan Chitrakar — an established artist and art teacher — painted a pathetic picture of what is dogging the fine arts when asked to react on the issue.

“There are no books for suggested reading for the growing number of art students. That is why they are hardly aware of the past and present,” said Chitrakar, who teaches at the Fine Arts Campus and Sirjana Fine Arts Campus.

The lopsided treatment allegedly goes as far back as the year 1961, the year the Nepal Association of Fine Arts (NAFA) was merged with the academy.