Restoring Nepal as Hindu State: shutdown enforced by hindu group

[Spring Onion]

Shutdown enforced to restore Nepal as Hindu state


KATHMANDU: Normal life in Nepal's western districts was disrupted today as a lesser known Hindu organisation enforced a two-day shut down in support of its demand to restore the country as a Hindu state.

Transport services, businesses, markets and educational institutions remained closed in western districts, including Dang, Salyan, Rukum, Rolpa and Pyuthan, for the past two days as Bhishma Ekta Parishad enforced its shut down.

The group underlined its demand for restoring Nepal as a Hindu state.

Nepal was the world's only Hindu state until the interim parliament declared it secular in 2006 after the then King Gyanendra was forced to give up absolute power.

After the Parliament failed to promulgate a new constitution last month, which would have institutionalised Nepal as the secular state, many Hindu groups have stepped up agitations to seek a referendum to restore the country as a Hindu state.

It also demanded the implementation of the three-point deal signed between the main opposition Maoists and the ruling alliance on May 28 to extend the term of the 601-member Constituent Assembly.

The three point agreement includes extension of the term of parliament, resignation by Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal at the earliest paving the way for formation of a national government and to push forward the stalled peace process through consensus.

It said except for the extension of parliament by one year, the other two key points of the deal are yet to be implemented.

The political parties are deadlocked over the May 28 deal. Main opposition CPN-Maoist, the single largest party with nearly 40 per cent of the parliamentary seats, has claimed to lead a national coalition to rescue the peace process and frame a new constitution.

However, the ruling 22-party alliance has demanded that the Maoists should first cooperate in managing the combatants (integration into the security forces), return the seized property during the decade-long civil war and dissolve the paramilitary organisation of the Young Communist League before leading a new government.

Shutdown enforced to restore Nepal as Hindu state - South Asia - World - The Times of India

 

[ek_indian]

What is the beneifits of declaring it as a "Hindu" state. This would not remove various challenges which is in front of a country.
These so-called organization has gone mad. Nepal should remain secular democracy which is infact best possible solution.

 

[notsuperstitious]

What is the beneifits of declaring it as a "Hindu" state. This would not remove various challenges which is in front of a country.
These so-called organization has gone mad. Nepal should remain secular democracy which is infact best possible solution.

Just curious, other than the label of being called a 'Hindu' state, did they have any laws or such that claimed to be 'Hindu'in nature?

If so, any of those laws were unfair to Non Hindus, in words or practice?

I've always heard abt the Hindu state but am clueless as to what it means on the ground...

 

[ek_indian]

Just curious, other than the label of being called a 'Hindu' state, did they have any laws or such that claimed to be 'Hindu'in nature?

If so, any of those laws were unfair to Non Hindus, in words or practice?

I've always heard abt the Hindu state but am clueless as to what it means on the ground...

I never came across knowing any such "laws"...but I might be wrong.
My point was, religion and politics should not be mixed.

 

[AbuSalam]

thrz nothing like "Hindu" laws as such..when u have Islamic laws that is very strictly male biased.

 

[Kinetic]

lol 'Hindu state'!!! Nepal was only a kingdom whose followers were Hindu, thats it!!! It cannot be called as 'Hindu state' nor it should. As far as I know Hinduism doesn't define the way man should follow his life or how a modern state will run but Hinduism says that every path those are true, meant to be good and nonviolent should lead you to the God. The ways or in forms you think your God is, the same way He will come to you. Hinduism only defines man's religious life not practical one.

Above all religion should be banned from state affairs.

 

[Ganga]

lol 'Hindu state'!!! Nepal was only a kingdom whose followers were Hindu, thats it!!! It cannot be called as 'Hindu state' nor it should.

Religion should be banned from state affairs.

Nepal was a kingdom which comprised of people from different religious backgrounds and hindiusm was the official state religion.There are around 56 countries in the world which have Islam as their official state religion.In that case it will not be a bad idea to have one Hindu country.But that in no way means that people of other religions should be brushed aside and only hinduism should prevail.

 

[ek_indian]

Nepal was a kingdom which comprised of people from different religious backgrounds and hindiusm was the official state religion.There are around 56 countries in the world which have Islam as their official state religion.In that case it will not be a bad idea to have one Hindu country.But that in no way means that people of other religions should be brushed aside and only hinduism should prevail.

You should also see the result of mixing politics and religion. More the mixing is, worse is that nation on almost all parameters.

 

[Spring Onion]

South Asia
Mar 4, 2010


Nepal running out of time


By Dhruba Adhikary

KATHMANDU - Nepal's transition from a Hindu monarchy to a secular republic is not going smoothly, and not just over the fast-approaching May 28 deadline for the nation's new constitution.

Nepal's three major parties are at loggerheads in the special assembly formed to draft the constitution over the structure of a proposed federal system. The opposition Maoists insist that federal states be created on an ethnic basis, while the ruling Nepali Congress party and its coalition partner believe the states should be formed on a geographic basis.

The Constituent Assembly was formed after a 2008 election when members voted overwhelmingly to abolish the monarchy and



restructure the country into autonomous states. The powers of the last king, Gyanendra, had been steadily curtailed since a disastrous period of his rule ended in April 2006 amid a popular revolt.

In the Constituent Assembly the opposition Maoists, who form the largest block with 40% of the seats, favor an executive presidency, while the Nepali Congress and Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist are floating a parliamentary system.

At the same time, public opposition to the idea of federalism is growing, as seen in the successful anti-federalism campaign being carried out by the National People's Front (Rashtriya Janamorcha), a small left-leaning party.

"Federalism is a recipe for Nepal to disintegrate, like the former Yugoslavia," said Chitra Bahadur KC, the party leader. In his view, Nepal's marginalized peoples would be better served through greater decentralization. A successful general strike his party organized in January is forcing the assembly to listen to his concerns.

Another small party, the royalist Rashtriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal (RPP-Nepal), is calling for a national referendum on federalism, as well as on secularism and a restoration of the monarchy. It last week launched a general strike that brought Kathmandu Valley, which encompasses the capital and two other districts, to a standstill.

RPP-Nepal has only four members in the national assembly, but its protest campaign has attracted a wide following. Even the powerful Maoists were forced to cancel an important meeting due to the chaos and the RPP-Nepal's large rallies managed to block the entrance to Simha Durbar, the seat of central government.

The party also wants a referendum to address Nepal's status as the world's only remaining Hindu state, which was abolished in 2008 when Nepal became a republic. More than 80% of the population are from the Hindu faith, also known as Sanaatan Dharma (the eternal law).

Hinduism, the third-largest religion after Christianity and Islam, is known for its tolerance towards other faiths. Nepal, with a sizeable Muslim population, does not possess the type of religious rivalries seen in India.

This, however, is undergoing a subtle change. There are growing feelings that too much tolerance could impact on Nepal's Hindu way of life, especially if there is a lack of reciprocity from other faiths. The concern has grown since the proselytizing activities of Western groups that had entered Nepal in the garb of non-governmental organizations were exposed.

The Hindu backlash against Nepal becoming a secular state has grown since 2006 when the monarchy first fell and the state was established, but the leaders of some prominent political parties believe the recent popular movements may also be a power play by right-wing elements. And they are also jittery about a possible revival of the monarchy.

Kamal Thapa, who heads RPP-Nepal, denies that his party is working to restore the monarchy's absolute rule. "All our party believes in is the restoration of a ceremonial institution that provides a symbol of unity for a country that is known for its ethnic diversity," Thapa told Asia Times Online.

Thapa's ideas appeal to many, as the 2006 declaration that made Nepal a secular nation was made without consulting the people. The May 18 declaration was made in a parliament that had been restored through royal proclamation, and the person who made it, Girija Prasad Koirala, was sworn in as prime minister by Gyanendra himself.

That declaration was illegitimate and should have been challenged there and then, according to Bishwanath Upadhayaya, a former chief justice and the head of the panel that drafted the 1990 constitution. If the changes were the outcome of a mass movement or a revolution, it should have been documented as such, he maintains.

Instead, sweeping changes were abruptly announced by Koirala on the grounds of bringing the Maoist insurgency (1996-2006) to an end and bringing the rebels into mainstream politics at all costs.

Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal (popularly known as Prachanda) has now become one of two important figures who concede that the secularization of Nepal was a mistake. The other person is none other than the incumbent President Ram Baran Yadav.

Yadav made this clear to a controversial Indian holy man, Chandraswami, when he was on a pilgrimage to Nepal. Former prime minister Koirala purportedly evaded the question. Unlike rulers in Delhi, media reports indicate that India's Hindus want the religious identity of neighboring Nepal to remain unchanged. For them, too, this is an emotional issue.

If Nepal's secularization was a mistake, this could be rectified when Nepal receives its new constitution. There is no need for a simultaneous restoration of the monarchy, which ceased being the custodian of the nation's Hindus after the notorious palace massacre of 2001. Nepal could now learn to stand as a Hindu republic, not a kingdom.

Dhruba Adhikary is a Kathmandu-based journalist.

Asia Times Online :: South Asia news, business and economy from India and Pakistan

 

[Parashuram1]

Well, that's a good thing for Nepali nationals isn't it? There are so many countries that are defined by their identities. Nepal has been a Hindu state earlier; what is the harm now?

Secularism is a political state whereas a Hindu state is an identity; No harm in implementing it as long as others are not harmed.

 

[Ganga]

You should also see the result of mixing politics and religion. More the mixing is, worse is that nation on almost all parameters.

I am not saying that religion and politics must mix.But if you realize you will notice that Nepal was a very peacefull place when it was a Hindu state.Apart from the maoist insurgency there was no other problem in Nepal at that time.

 

[ambidex]

@ Jana:
If i read what you are trying to say correctly.

So what wrong in it if Maoist can tumble down so called Hindu monarchy and mix of democratic political system. Then other groups have right to protest what they want. There are many Islamic nations where Islamic way of life is enforced by law and constitution. If Nepal was categorised as a Hindu state then is well understood that there will be many groups in effort to resort the same past.

Preemptive mode (before you you blame India for that) on: However i think these vulnerable small groups will be neutralized by ISI smugglers and China loving Maoist extortionist, very soon.

 

[jha]

A hindu state is as good as a secular state with just name changed...however would like to see if the teachings of Bhagwadgita are followed...

 

[jha]

@ Jana:
If i read what you are trying to say correctly.

So what wrong in it if Maoist can tumble down so called Hindu monarchy and mix of democratic political system. Then other groups have right to protest what they want. There are many Islamic nations where Islamic way of life is enforced by law and constitution. If Nepal was categorised as a Hindu state then is well understood that there will be many groups in effort to resort the same past.

Preemptive mode (before you you blame India for that) on: However i think these vulnerable small groups will be neutralized by ISI smugglers and China loving Maoist extortionist, very soon.

I am visiting nepal in a month...will bring some of them

 

[Spring Onion]

Monday, 18 September 2006,


Hindu fears over secular Nepal
By Charles Haviland
BBC News, Kathmandu




Young and old, some dressed in saffron, some wielding tridents, Hindu nationalists march in the streets of Kathmandu, letting out a cry of indignation.

"Bring back the Hindu kingdom," they shout.

It is a pattern being regularly repeated, mainly in the capital and the plains bordering India, by Hindus incensed by parliament's recent declaration that Nepal should be secular.

But at the moment, Nepal remains the world's only officially Hindu country.

'Holy war'

At the rally Hindu priests extol the goddess Sita, born in Nepal according to legend, and vow to continue protests.


Arun Subedi, chairman of Shiv Sena Nepal
If Nepal is not a Hindu kingdom then there is no Nepal
Arun Subedi,
Shiv Sena Nepal

Arun Subedi, chairman of the Hindu nationalist group Shiv Sena Nepal - with the same name as a hardline Mumbai (Bombay)-based organisation but unconnected to it - says secularism may worsen Hindus' relations with minority religions.

"Nepal is a Hindu country," he says. "It is the playground of God and a very holy country.

"If Nepal is not a Hindu kingdom then there is no Nepal. We are entering into a holy war," he says, describing a Hindu scripture as his arms and ammunition.

According to official statistics, more than 80% of Nepalis are Hindu. Many have traditionally regarded their kings as incarnations of the Hindu God, Vishnu.

But minorities in this multi-ethnic country and most political parties have long demanded the move to secularism.

Since it was unified by King Prithvi Narayan Shah in 1768, Nepal has been ruled by a Hindu dynasty. Its kings have bound themselves into a litany of Hindu rituals and receive special reverence from many Hindus in neighbouring India, which is secular.

But in April this year massive demonstrations forced Prithvi's autocratic descendant, King Gyanendra, to abandon his direct rule. Unsurprisingly, the restored parliament declared the country secular.

Hindus in Kathmandu offer prayers
Hindus form 80% of the Nepalese population

One of Nepal's greatest monuments, the Swayambhunath temple overlooking Kathmandu, epitomises the country's traditions of religious tolerance and mixing, especially between Hinduism and Buddhism.

Swayambhunath is a Buddhist shrine - a great dome or stupa - from which the all-seeing eyes of the Buddha gaze from its gold-painted face. But adjoining the stupa and its prayer wheels, people swarm around buying offerings for the Hindu goddess, Harati, whose temple lies in the same compound.

Some worshippers move from one shrine to the other.

Changes welcomed

People advocating the Hindu state point to such places, saying the faiths get on very well as things are. Some commentators say the country's status has prevented the development of the kind of angry Hindu politics seen in India.

But others say precisely the opposite.

Bhikkhu Ananda, a Buddhist monk and lecturer in Buddhist studies, says the Hindu state grossly underplays the number of Buddhists in Nepal. He puts it at 50% rather than the official 11%.


It is still unclear whether militant Hindu sentiments will harden and bigger crowds will flock to their rallies

"In this Hindu country, we are not given our due place," he says, asserting that the state broadcaster gives his faith 10 minutes a week compared with three-and-a-half hours for Hinduism.

Other religious minorities, including the tiny Christian one, also welcome the change.

Pastor KB Rokaya heads a church which meets in a private flat because churches are not allowed to register with the authorities. He hopes that will now change and says that more than secularism, what is needed is full religious freedom.

"I think the minority religious people will now feel they are equal citizens, not second-class citizens," he says. "It will also mean we can practise our own religion and faith more openly without fear."

The most vocal advocates of secularism, however, are not grounded in religion.

For its size, Nepal is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world. Some were Hinduised relatively recently and some are discovering their pre-Hindu roots.

Krishna Bhattachan works for an umbrella organisation of 59 indigenous ethnic groups, most of which have never enjoyed much power in Nepal.

He says the Hindu state has held back democracy and development and wants secularism to be followed by removal of the monarchy and recognition for minority cultures and languages.

'Ignited'

Ranged against this view are many ordinary Hindus who say they feel hurt, pointing out that many countries have Islam or Christianity as a state religion and saying they cherish Nepal's unique status.

Louder are the angry Hindus, who speak with veiled threats towards religious minorities.

Nepal church
Minorities are eager for more freedom of religion

"In secularism it will be very difficult for them," a youth attending a rally tells the BBC. "The churches will be destroyed, the mosques will be destroyed.

"The people who are very much [of a] religious mind, they will spontaneously blow up these churches and mosques. The fight between the religious communities... is not going to stop. It has been ignited."

Currently the protesters wanting to keep Nepal officially Hindu are only gathering a few dozen to their rallies. But there have been some scuffles, at least once with the influential Maoist rebels now inching closer to government.

It is still unclear whether militant Hindu sentiments will harden and bigger crowds will flock to their rallies.


BBC NEWS | South Asia | Hindu fears over secular Nepal