my last words on the issue of why Nepal needs to be a "secular state". ---------------------------- "Hindu Nepal" is a demand of the India-based fundamentalist orgs and Hindus as well as their stooges in Nepal (palace sympathizers, bharat Keshari, Nepal chapters of VHP and Shiva Sena). These orgs and Hindus affiliated to them are bigots and supremacists. Discredited Jaswant Singh of India was quoted saying: "I was hurt by the statement to the effect that Nepal is a secular Nepal". And why not? "Hindu Nepal" gives these India-based orgs and Hindus a lever to influence political/cultural/economic happenings in Nepal. Many people on Sajha are playing right into their hands. I do not see Nepali Hindus out on the streets asking the House of Reps to retract their statement about "Nepal going secular." But we hear about India-based fundamentalist Hindu orgs and Hindus being pissed! When they know that their chances of meddling in tomorrow's Nepal are grim, they cry foul. The sooner Nepal distances itself from their polluted clutches, the better it is for all concerned. Nepal has to come out of the shadow of "Indian Hindu Fundamentalism." That Hindus treated other religions okay under "Hindu Nepal" seems fine to an extent. But my beef (pun intended) is not against the Hindus but rather against the Hindu state. In the past, the state foisted a "Hindu" regime on its peoples. Was that decision ever put to a vote? Hell no! Well, what's wrong with scrapping the "Hindu state" tag, since it was not legitimate to begin with? If it can be institutionalised without a vote, it, too, can be removed without a vote! The SPA did the right thing. It was not an anti-Hindu act on their part! It was their response to people’s call for “Samabeshi loktantra.” Certainly, “Secular Nepal” is a necessary but not a sufficient condition to making “loktantra” more inclusive. Most recently, the palace-appointed government doled out money to Bharat Keshari's Hindu org as well as patronised many Hindu institutions to strengthen the hold of autocratic rule. It is these fundamentalist Hindus who strengthened King Gyanendra's autocratic rule - which is why he was always been keen on visiting Hindu congregations and temples and wasting money from state coffers than building roads and bridges – key demands of the people he met? Why should the taxes gotten from people of all religious hues go exclusively to Hindu institutions and Sanskrit schools? This is unfair, and this is offensive to the people of all religious hues, including reform-minded Hindus. Why do you think the India-based Hindu orgs and Hindus (as well as their stooges in Nepal) are demanding that Nepal be re-declared a "Hindu state"? Then they get funding from Nepali government - which only strengthens their hold over Nepal as well as their false-God-king. You think the Nepali people, including the enlightened Hindus, are willing to believe in the “mandate of heaven”. “Secular Nepal” is all about separation of separation of religion and state. Do you think all this state money strengthens Hinduism's appeal or sanctimony? Think again! These fundamentalists or the Hindu state don't care about Hinduism - the Hindu state cares about using the followers of Hinduism as vote banks to stay in power by throwing some bread crumbs at them! This is a pork-barrel approach! This is misuse of state treasury. This can only happen under "Hindu state" and will continue to happen if "Secularism is not institutionalized soon enough." Where did all the state monies given to fundamentalist Hindu orgs, who were all to eager to roll out the red carpet for autocratic king, go? Of course, into the pockets of the leaders of fundamentalist Hindu organisations! The Kathmandu hilltop Hindu shiva lingas and tridents are crumbling. Pashupati Nath, like the supposedly holy Bagmati, continues to give off strong stenches of chakribad, greed, misuse of fund, mismanagement, etc. Dalits are fleeing from Hinduism. Christianity is on the rise! Even Hindus are fleeing Hinduism. Father Sharma and Father Upadhya give sermons as pastors in makeshift churches across Nepal! This is a triumph of “free will” over "pre-determinism". The Christians have been successful in raising rural/semi-rural literacy! They have empowered people sufficiently that the latter have agitated against their exploitative Hindu jamindars. Don’t give me that crap about Christian missionaries doling out cetamol (that’s a standard cliché) - these Christians are actually empowering people! This is Christian aid put to good use. Well when the Hindu state gives out money of its own peoples exclusively to fundamentalist Hindu orgs and Sanskrit schools (which can only happen under "Hindu Nepal") you keep mum, but when it is the Christian aid (other people's money) being put to good use, you suddenly have problems with Christian missionaries! You guys are hypocrites! At least we know the Christian approach is cleaner: they are not misusing state money (their money comes by and large from abroad) unlike the Hindu state. The Hindu state collects from people of all religious hues and gives it exclusively to Hindu institutions and Sanskrit Universitities! This is state-sanctioned discrimination! When the people from other religious groups cried foul, the Supreme Court threw the case out citing "But you know what, this is a Hindu state". Don't give me that crap about how under “Hindu Nepal”, there have been no unequal treatment of other religions. “Harmonious coexistence” is a lie that the fundamentalist Hindus have been propagating! This is a lie we’ve been made to memorize from the textbooks that are a throw back to the Panchayati era. Like I mentioned the Dalits are fleeing Hinduism as if they were fleeing a plague. Even Hindus are fleeing Hinduism. Talk about ‘harmonious coexistence.” There is no harmony within Hinduism itself. If there were “harmonious co-existence” among religions, would janjatis, dalits, Muslims, Chritians, enlightened women (who believe that patriarchy has been given protection by the Hindu state) who make up over half the Nepal’s population demand “samabeshi loktantra”, with “Secular Nepal” as one of their key agenda? Mr Narayan Pokhrel, a reform minded homegrown Hindu, who actually begins to clean up the image of Hinduism is allegedly taken out by Bharat Keshari Singh’s group. And yet you clamor for "Hindu Nepal". Sorry guys, this will only strengthen Hindu fundamentalist forces even as they trample all over Hinduism (which they see as a means to an end) for their political gains. Only by making "Nepal secular" will we deal a strong blow to the hold India-based fundamentalist Hindu orgs and Hindus as well as their Sankarachayras (or their stooges in Nepal) have over the politics Nepal. When the state stops doling out money to fundamentalist Hindu institutions (as it did to Bharat Keshari's group) or giving them "protection money”, this will weaken the fundamentalist elements. The fundamentalists have already been considerably weakened, which is why India-based fundamentalist Hindu orgs and Hindus (and their sympathizers from Nepal) are the ones raising hues and cries the loudest, not necessarily the Nepali Hindus. Thankfully, the fundamentalists’ cries are being drowned out by the pre-monsoon showers of Nepal. Of course, in the short term, the fundamentalists, now wounded to the core, will try to cause problems, but they will soon expose themselves for who they are, if they already haven’t: supremacists, bigots and religious extremists all rolled into one! Some sajha people's argument for why Nepal should stay a "Hindu state": Then they will be able to say to their foreign friends, "You know what, Nepal is the only Hindu state in the world", and feel good about saying this! Funny argument! Secularism is the way to go! It is good for all religions, but mostly of all for Hinduism. -----------------------------------