While Singha Durbar and the Supreme Court were engulfed in flames after arson attacks by protestors last week, one government office building in the same area remained unscathed.
That government office is the Department of Archaeology.
What’s noteworthy here is that the Department of Archaeology was not protected by the army or police. It was safeguarded by conscious and aware citizens who understood the importance of the archaeological materials housed there.
Nineteen people lost their lives due to police repression during the Gen-Z movement across the country on September 8. The next day, enraged crowds took to the streets and began attacking the private residences of political leaders, government offices, commercial establishments, and other physical structures.
During this course of events, protestors invaded the Supreme Court and Singha Durbar, the country’s main administrative center, and began vandalism and arson.
The Department of Archaeology is located right at the turn from Maitighar to Singha Durbar. A group of protestors who had come to invade the Supreme Court and Singha Durbar tried to attack the Department of Archaeology building.
At that moment, young artist Jupiter Pradhan stepped forward to protect the Department of Archaeology from the protestors' attack.
"A group of people was trying to enter the Department of Archaeology. They had already broken the lock of the main gate. Seeing this, I thought I could convince them and stepped forward," Pradhan recalled about Tuesday’s incident. "I explained to them what kinds of documents are kept in the Department of Archaeology, what archaeological records are, and how important they are."
That day, Pradhan was preparing with some friends to stage a symbolic protest by lying on sketches of 19 bodies. However, upon hearing that protestors were advancing toward Singha Durbar, he didn’t wait until evening for the demonstration. Along with his brother, he went out to the street and began creating some symbolic signs in front of the Department of Archaeology.
Then, his fears came true.
Protestors arrived in groups and tried to attack the Department of Archaeology. Pradhan explained the importance of archaeological materials to all of them. Some understood and turned back, while others aggressively tried to push forward.
For some, the sole purpose was to cause destruction there. They had no concern for preserving heritage. They asked Pradhan, who was standing at the gate to stop them, "Everything else has already been burnt; what’s the harm if this burns too?"
In response, he said, "What’s gone is gone, but this has survived so far. By our luck, it has been preserved for many years. So, we must now pass it on to the next generation."
He also added, "I’m not Gen Z; I’m from Generation X. But I want to hand over this heritage and the documents here to Gen Z and Generation Alpha that follows. If we preserve and pass it on to them, they too will protect it and pass it on to the generations after them."
Most of the time, he explained calmly, but at times, he expressed frustration as well.
Around that time, a young woman who had failed to convince those trying to burn Singha Durbar joined Pradhan to support him.
Gradually, more conscious youths gathered there.
They then tried to lock the main gate, which the protestors had broken. However, they couldn’t find the key.
Pradhan went to his home, which is near the Department of Archaeology, to get a lock.
He hurriedly returned with a lock. By then, his friends had found ropes and pipes.
They locked the main gate and continued guarding the Department of Archaeology with ropes and pipes in hand.
"We called our relatives and friends nearby to strengthen our group. We also made appeals through social media," Pradhan said. "Hearing our request, some Gen Z youths came to help. Some elderly people joined too. Even employees of the Department of Archaeology joined. Gradually, our group grew."
Many people urged Pradhan and his group to leave the protection of the Department of Archaeology and go extinguish fires elsewhere, but they didn’t budge.
"We thought what’s gone is gone and stayed at the Department of Archaeology to protect what remains," he said.
In the meantime, they brought security barricades from various places and set them up in front of the Department of Archaeology.
"Once a group of 15–20 people had gathered, I felt confident that the Department of Archaeology would be saved," Pradhan said. "If similar groups had gathered at the Supreme Court, Singha Durbar, and other public places, our heritage and government structures wouldn’t have been destroyed to this extent."
"There are more people who want to preserve than those who want to burn and destroy," Pradhan said. "If those who want to preserve organize and stand together in time, those trying to destroy can’t do anything."
He recalls guarding the Department of Archaeology until 10:30 p.m. that night.
During that time, destructive mobs repeatedly harassed them. Some were angry at the Department of Archaeology, while others wanted to revel in the destruction.
"The toughest moment was stopping a mob that came in the evening. They arrived on bikes, and their sole purpose seemed to be to spread terror. Some even appeared to be under the influence of drugs," Pradhan said. "They were making loud noises with their bikes to intimidate us. But there were some good people in that group too, and because of them, we were saved."
"When security personnel arrived around 10:30 p.m., we handed over the responsibility to them and returned home," he said.
