Kalyan K. Tamrakar has a long history in the field of handicrafts. His ancestors would have worked with metal as his last name means "copper shaper," but he chose a different path, that of business. A married man in his final year of a Bachelor's of Commerce degree, today he is the president of a non-profit, non-government organization that strives to develop Nepal's handicrafts as they represent a key element to the country's future.

Established in 1972, The Handicraft Association of Nepal focuses on the promotion and popularization of handicrafts locally and abroad. It gives practical advice to His Majesty's Government to expand the handicraft market and industry. The association currently has over 900 members. These members are divided into four categories from entrepreneurs, organized and registered HMG companies, institutional members divided into seven district associations and two commodity associations, and honorary members. The district associations are found in Jhapa, Bhojpur, Sankuwosa, Janakpur, Kailali, Palpa and Nepalgunj and the commodity associations in Nepal paper and pashmina.

According to Tamrakar the vast majority of Nepal's handicrafts go towards exportation in either documented overseas orders or by tourists bringing the crafts back with them as souvenirs. It is the associations belief that handicrafts require government assistance if they are to be able to develop in the future. All of the exportation statistics that have been gathered by HAN are based on documented cases only as they cannot keep track of private sales.

There is no government infrastructure such as industrial training centers or technical schools to educate people towards the development of mass production. In retrospect, it is tough to compete with major world exporters of handicrafts such as Indonesia and Thailand who excel in the production of silver goods. However, Tamrakar assures that "Nepal offers the products from a highly skilled base [of primarily family businesses] that turn out unique pieces inspired by their religion and cultural rituals." The carpet and garment industries of Nepal are the most prominent as far as exportation of products. 75% of carpet (mainly made by Tibetan hill people) exports go to Germany and 90% of readymade garments (mainly Indian made in Kathmandu) go to the United States. The country's total exportation of handicrafts has drastically decreased by 64% according to the mid-July 2000 to mid-May 2001 report.

Handicrafts are a prominent product of Nepal as they provide a good value added percentage. They generate a vast industry that supports an estimated 300,000 people involved in the business. Tamrakar was adamant that handicrafts are ideal to be exported abroad as they are "low volume and high value" allowing for large shipments to "more than 62 countries worldwide." There are no government incentives to promote exportation unlike what artisans enjoy in other countries. Until now when we find an export tax of 0.75% on handicrafts there had been none imposed since the beginning of the industrial act.

The handicrafts that remain to be sold in the local market are now suffering due to the decline in tourism of between 50% to 60% and environmental laws that have been recently been. Certain handicrafts are still doing well as they remain popular among the Nepali population whereas others are rapidly fading away.

Metalwork statues remain popular, mixing Buddhism and Hinduism in their designs. Shakya artisans in Patan use the lost-wax process, unlike their Tamrakar counterparts who prefer to pound their works into form, mostly producing jars, plates and ceremonial pieces. Both display excellent craftsmanship which is threatened by mass production which has generated an increase of 15% in metal craft product exportation from last year.

Woodwork provides jobs for more than 350 Silpakar families in Bungamati, Lalitpur. There is a good local for their products particularly for restoration work on historic sites around Kathmandu Valley. There remains a strong international market despite the drop of 14% from last year. It is a popular local fashion to include wood carved windows and doors in homes. Despite good business, most producers are small entrepreneurs and face difficulties when shipping pieces abroad as they do not have the facilities to season their woods. This leaves their work vulnerable to damage during travel, the result being unsatisfied customers overseas. HAN is working towards the development of a seasoning plant for these entrepreneurs.

Stonework is an early traditional art with limited people working on it today. The people of Sundhara and Bhinsebaal in Patan remain highly involved in order to meet an increase in demands for their work but the newer generations are showing little to now interest in this field. HAN has not been able to establish labor-training programs to teach people the skills needed to increase production due to financial restrictions. The government does not give much support this type of craft due to its problematic characteristics for exportation. It is a high weight, low volume product that suffers from difficulties in sea transport and a low international market. Those working with stone have been engaged by the government to help with restorations of historic sites across Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur, providing them with much needed work.

The exportation of terra cotta has reportedly doubled from last year with the implementation of new technologies. Nepal cannot contend with India and China for ceramics but due to their unique and high quality craftsmanship, terra cotta is making encouraging progress. HAN is giving support to the Thimi Sahakari Sansthan organization for the establishment of a furnace for terra cotta glazing and ceramics.

Traditional paintings, particularly thangkas, have a good local market and many jobs have been created through this field. The Tamang thangka and the Newari or Chitrakar paubha are Nepal's two forms of traditional paintings. They are based on the Buddhist and Hindu religions and cultural rituals and display expressional colors. The exportation of thangkas is up 32% from last year but is mostly dependent on private sales.

Weaving has become a declining industry as many stores have closed down because of low demands. The younger generations of women prefer the cooler cotton saris or t-shirts rather than the heavy haku parsi and woolen shawls that their mother's can still be seen wearing. Weaving traditional dress was formerly a highly practiced art in the Kathmandu Valley, mainly by women. Most fabrics are now only woven locally in tribal villages who use their products themselves.

In the way of jewelry, "silver is a good low volume, high value export," says Tamrakar. Gold is not exported much. Silver and copper are among the most imported natural resources in Nepal today from countries like Malaysia, United Arabian Emirates and other Arabian countries. The importation of silver is handled by the National Bank according to its export credibility.

There is a problem with the skilled workers as they cannot get training abroad. Tamrakar says that he would like to see "everyone with a hammer in hand that can hold a pen." Those who are graduating with educations in fields such as microbiology and aeronautical engineering do not wish to be factory workers and often leave to work abroad. If they were to stay within Nepal and apply their skills to what Nepal is working with then they could earn a decent living of US$ 130 to US$ 200 per month as skilled laborers while helping their country as well. HAN has arranged for foreign educators to be brought in from outside countries to conduct workshops in Kathmandu. Laborers there receive organized skill upgrading in order to operate using new techniques and management skills. Other such programs have taken place in Palpa for the promotion of new techniques in silver jewelry and at Pokhara, but these venues are now difficult to manage because of security measures according to political unrest.

Organized programs provide reliable sources for laborers to learn the skills of dying garments and making pashminas, the exportation of which has fallen 77% from last year. Other classes in freehand sketching, wood binding and carving for products such as masks are taught. Trainers from Israel have been brought in to teach and promote methods for paper production, exporting 26% more than last year, and trainers from Japan and the Philippines will also give be giving training for bamboo products.

Those interested in the programs are required to pay a small fee in order to take part. HAN also pays for the teachers' living costs throughout their stay in Nepal. The reason for charging people for these programs is that it attracts serious class of laborers who can better value and apply what they have learned as well as maintaining the standards of what they are taught.

Another problem that craftsmen are faced with is the lack of outlets through which they can sell their work. The association has also been making requests to the government for the establishment of work emporium outlets in Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur.

Nepal is a land that depends on its agricultural productivity and on its natural resources for the production of handicrafts and to remain independent. The Lokta plant, also known as "white grass," argeli and banana fibers are plentiful inside the country and used for the fabrication of handmade paper. Timber is abundant for woodworkers and they enjoy a healthy market. Stone is also plentiful in the various mines dotted across Nepal. Aside from these materials, the country either lacks many of the natural resources that it requires or restrictions have been imposed on them that hinder the independent production of its handicrafts.

Timber, on the whole, is not troubled resource. Although, due to its diminishing numbers, the sought after daar is protected from random logging and a special permit must now be obtained through the proper government channels. The stoneworkers of today are faced with a frustrating situation. The stones that they are after are readily available in local mines at Gwaldo and Dakchinkali, but the government has imposed environmental laws to protect the natural habitat around these granite quarries. To continue their work, artisans have mainly had to result to using less desirable limestone. Others have lost their jobs due to the drop in both the local and foreign market and have either branched off into other artworks or abandoned the practice of handicrafts altogether. Less than 2.5 million rupees worth of stonework was exported between mid-July 2001 and mid-May 2002. Woodcraft is also down 14 % from last year.

Today's government is primarily training laborers in modern fields such as electrical wiring, plumbing and the modern arts. Tamrakar says that "next to nothing is being done for the development of handicrafts [although] the government is now taking advice from the private sector." He sadly went on to calculate that "one Nepali can match the other, but one Nepali cannot match a foreigner." Nepalese handicrafts have been supported through HAN at international trade fairs in Frankfurt and Berlin, Germany, as well as Japan and the United States. He feels strongly that with government support for the marketing and exportation of handicrafts that the field will begin to prosper.

In summarizing his feelings on traditional arts saying that the "government should divert human resources to this type of field because it is a tangible answer to Nepal's problems." He feels that the poor are rebelling and "going to the forest due to the lack of training and jobs" that the government is supplying. Tamrakar sees Nepal's fatal fault as having been the complete absence of strategies developed during the times that there were popular products being exported outside its borders, a fault to which he points his finger at the Research Development Center. In his own words he reflected the pitfall of his country that "Nepal does not market its products" and "only offers to sell them when asked."