Its about 4 months old but I mean this Daniel Lak guy has some ignorance. I think foreigners who write articles about Nepal oftend don't understand Nepalese people and culture.

A secular Hinduism
If there is to be a monarchy it must be separated from religion


To those agitating against the declaration of Nepal as a secular state, prepare to be left behind by logic and history. You may think you’re playing a patriotic and faithful game but you’re just cynical. Here’s why.

To begin with, there’s no such thing as a Hindu kingdom. Even when such entities existed thousands of years ago, there was no agreement on whether they were legitimate or not. Various tracts used to justify the absurd notion that a Shah king was an avatar of a god were misquoted or deliberately misused. Respected Hindu scholars say the kings of early Hindudom were entreated to be just and wise, like gods, not to be gods themselves.

In those days of wandering mendicants like Buddha, Mahavira and others, a king who claimed actual godhood would have been laughed out of court. Even Ashoka, no shrinking violet, only referred to himself as ‘blessed of the gods’.

Very few people in Nepal know that much of what has passed for palace-sponsored Hinduism here was invented by the Ranas or members of the same courtier class, cherry picked from a heterodox array of traditions that can only be described in and of themselves as secular.

A secular religion? Surely not. But it is so. Hinduism is a creed, not a faith per se. The Mahant of the Tulsi Ghat temple in Varanasi, a saint called Veer Bhadra Mishra, once told me Hindus didn’t agree on any aspect of their faith save the sanctity of the family and the responsibility of individuals for their own salvation.

“We have so many schools of thought,” he said, “some believe in millions of gods, some just a few, some in one God and others in no gods at all. We have atheist Hindus. Who’s to say whether anyone is more correct than anyone else.” Then, true to the notion of individual salvation, Mahant-ji slipped into the Ganges and took his holy bath. Tolerance is the only way to approach life under such beliefs.

Nepali Hinduism calcified under state patronage. A culturally sanctioned way of life in India that adapted and served peoples’ needs for millennia became a tool of caste oppression and exclusion in Nepal. Pretending to be a force for unity, the Hinduism encouraged by the Nepali elite was largely a way to divide and rule the diverse masses.

It’s no accident that the number of Hindus in the country declined in relative terms in the last census. That’s because the government stopped simply designating people by religious community and asked them what their faith ways. Magars, Tamangs and others were no longer ‘automatic Hindus’.

None of the Hindu reform movements of the past have found root in Nepal, given the role of the state authorities in determining the official stature of religion. What would the Ranas have done, confronted by Swami Vivekananda or Gandhi? In India, Hindus survived Ashoka’s Buddhism, centuries of Muslim overlordship and the British Evangelical Chriistian mission to ‘civilise’ them. More than surviving, Hinduism flourished. It still does. As India becomes prosperous and more modern, its people are flocking to temples and worshipping as never before.

Hinduism may similarly become relevant and supportive of change in the new Nepal. First of all, caste needs to openly debated and discrimination ended. Some sort of affirmative action for dalits and others is essential. The status of women is a national shame in many parts of this country, particularly rural Hindu women. Their religious beliefs, and those of their husbands, have kept them in bondage. No faith justifies slavery. Finally, the endless spectacles of Hindu ritual need to be removed from state functions, including those involving the king, and put back in temples and peoples’ homes where they belong.

So here’s to secularism. And to Hinduism, whether Shaivite, Vaishnivite, Brahminical or any other kind. Not to mention Bonpo, Islam, Buddhism, Chistianity, Animism, Agnoticism, Atheism and others. Most of all, here’s to tolerance that can only take root when the land itself is truly united in diversity.

To be honest, I don't have much of a problem with what he says. Yes, it's a bit odd to see a foreign journalist of his repute lecturing us, but hey, lots of foreigners lecture us everyday anyways. The substance of his argument, in my opinion, is pretty much in line with the current debates and discussions going on in Nepal about this subject.

Yeah that lecturing crap bothers me soo much sometimes. Westerners and Europeans do it the best..ugh. Its not so much the arguments that bother me because on some points he has some merit, but its the style/fashion he presents them. Its almost in a tone that makes Nepalese seem inferior..like hes holding our hands or something.

"A secular Hinduism"

It is kinda self cancelling phrase isnt it ..?

Why Hindu Religion trouble?

The key Reason is:

(1) Un-democratic from the Hindu Genetic.

In Nepal, there so many native tribal people live. They have their own religion, social systems where Nepali constitution seize all freedom and tell Nepal is only Hindu kingdom. Nepali government made isolate to other religion and tribal people.

(2) Caste Systems and discrimination in Hindu Religion.

When Khas group ( Bahuns and Chettris ) escape from Rajasthan and immigrated as asylum into Nepal. They brought Hindu Religion and caste systems where Bahun become superior caste and other lower caste. That was absolutely racial discrimination among people. Caste systems in the corner or flavor of Hindu religion.

(3) Hindu religion becomes easy surviving tool of crime and corruption.

Nepal economy depend on 90% farming land and the most of the farming people are native Nepalese tribe people and they live in hard economy condition even they are the key bank bond of country. Bahuns claims themselves as priesthood and do priest work in every village. They do not do serious cultivation like other tribes. They go to house to house and ask dhasina which make village farmer more poor and drawn in poor economic condition.

You have to be pure Hindu to Join Nepal Army force, Police force and high ranking Nepali government officers which makes other Nepali tribal people left behind, obsolete discriminate and suppressed by Hindu Systems.

Hindu Religion system is not only limit on a religion, but khas people turn it as a tool of crimes, corruption, suppression and discrimination.

I prefer Nepal to be Hindu...I mean I can't even begin to imagine the consequences that religions like Christian, Jew, Muslim would have on our culture. You have to understand that we as a country arent as big as India so we can't take changes to our culture as strong as they can.

If those kinds of problems exist, we simply have to root them out in our next govt but Nepal MUST be kept Hindu in culture.

IF FATE OF MONARCHY WAS GOING TO BE DECIDED BY REFRENDUM THEN WHY THESE FUC%ING MORONS COULD NOT PUT THIS HINDU ISSUE FOR REFERENDUM TOO?????LET THE PEOPLE DECIDE WHAT THEY WANT !!!

ImI are you Muslim LOL

why????what difference does it make???i am just saying let people decide what they want..why these fuc%ing morons wanted to act god!!!

oh yes...you mean with the article..i agree..why do they need to act like some gods!! but I really hope people keep it hindu even if they are atheist or another religionit is extremely important to our culture. but you know whats so great about nepal? even if ppl decide to stray away, the climate and geopgraphical nature keeps our culture in check. :)

CuteTree you are not the only F*ucker living in Nepal! Get that in your head. There are enough people in Nepal who are not Hindu by religion. Just because Majority wants it does not mean it should be imposed on everyone. In democratic terms that is called "tyranny of majority". You certainly need to take democracy 101.

listen haude_ko_bhai!! don't get mad! I'm just telling you the truth. You dont want our culture to die right? see i know you dont. im not saying impose it. people need freedom of thought and everythign else but there need to be certain constitutional rights given to hindu/nepal culture and the nepal govt needs to serve as a backbone for Hindu/Nepal culture.

beside, if it is the majority then it is obviously want the people want! you cant impse how you feel on the people haude_ko_bhai. Get that in your head.

My Dearest Dumb A*ss CuteTree,

First of all let me congratulate you for your Ph.D in Democracy.Let me also tell you that I do not consider myself Hindu. And most importantly of all just because 51% majority want it does not mean it should be imposed on everyone. There are still 49% of the people who have different opinion about it. BTW, I am just giving you an example, I am not saying there are 51% hindu in Nepal. What can I say? You have an uncanny knack of misunderstanding things. And last of al,l secularism means religious considerations should be excluded from civil affairs and that the state is not aligned to any religion and therefore impartial. Got it? On the other hand, sounds like you are for discrimination as oppose to equal rights. Was that your thesis for Ph.D?

You don't seem to get it.

Much of Nepalese Culture is tied to Hinduism along with indigeionous culture.

If the govt goes Secular, thats fine theres no problem there. People have freedoms and the right to choose, people have the right to change their govt and people have the right to unions and whatever else they wanna do, but that doesn't mean the govt can't set safeguards for our culture.

A seculuar govt doesn't have to support Hinduism as a religion but they do have the respobsiblity of protection of the identity of the majority of Nepalese people. Even if you don't consider yourself Hindu, the fact is that if you are Nepalese and have Nepalese parents, it influenced you in some way. so stop all this sarcastic craps about PH.D and see the truth.

Democracy is majority!!!get this..call this a major flaw in democracy ..it has worked and it is the best idealogy that has been successful.

Now seperating state and religion..i agree..well show me laws that where discriminating against other religion in nepal???didn't christians get off in christmas or muslims in ed??

Besides that..democracy also means respectin minority..now if majority hindu would have made discriminative or offensive laws against other religion ..then you come here and talk about democracy not being fair!!!

Again Ph.D shaheb,

What makes you think that a "Nepali culture" should be protected by the government? And what might this culture you call Nepali be? Can you define it to me? What do you understand by being a Nepalese? What is it exactly that you want your government to protect? No democratic government has a responsibility to protect anything except the rights and freedom of individual. Makes sense? duh!

IMI,

Lets call Nepal an Islamic state from now on, I am sure you will not oppose. You talk about laws and discrimination...here are some for you: 12 years of imprisonment for killing a cow. Obviously you are not a women, otherwise you might have also wondered why women are not allowed inheritance. And if you are from a different ethnic group...maybe you want to look into how the laws of marriage is defined. And you still want to say there is no discrimination?

I am of course assuming that you two did not get your Ph.D in Democracy from the same university...

yes i did!!!
and which univ. did u get phd from?? defining democracy..seems like u are expert on that.huh!
so people were dying to kill cow ..thats what hurt people the most..ok !
could you tell me how the laws of marriage are defined ?????

haude_ko_bhai,

Nepali culture being everything that defines the Nepalese identity and Nepal itself. They have to protect this from any outside forces without doing harm to people's freedom. This is why I support secular because it can achieve this very easily. Protection of the identity is a right of the people. And besides, where have I disregarded Democracy so far? You don't seem to have very good reading comprehension. I have said over and over that people are free to choose and move the govt in any direction they want. It is totally up to them. Perhaps it is YOU who have failed at Democracy 101, because you are labelling me as some kind of bandit who doesnt understand Democracy as a concept.

But I want to kill a cow and eat it too! Why should I go to prison for that? I have started thanking myself for not having a Ph.D ever since I started to read your and your other half's comments on Democracy. Thank God...no, its not a hindu God.

One more thing ..if nepalese people vote to make nepal a islamic state i say go for it!!!!PUT that also in ballot.ok!