Hurray! Nepal Is A Secular Country
UWB Photo blog by Shruti Shrestha
Yes, amendments must be made in general knowledge books around the world. The world’s only Hindu Kingdom is a history now and people of Nepal, that country, are happy! Hindus are happy, Buddhists are happy, Muslims are happy, Christians are happy, people from different ethnic communities in Nepal are happy. As the parliament passed a historic resolution making Nepal a secular nation, celebrations started on the main street in front of Singha Durbar, the administrative center of Nepal, where parliament is located.
Look Who Is Smiling?
You can’t hide a smile: A Nepali woman from ethnic community smiles as she watches people celebrating in front of Singha Durbar after the parliament passed a historic resolution making Nepal a secular country.
People took out rally in front of Singha Durbar celebrating the secularism in Nepal
Making Their Voice Heard
Earlier in the day hundreds of people, many of them associated with different ethnic community, gathered in front of Singha Durbar with banners to pressurize the government to declare Nepal a secular country.
People putting flags over the statue of Prithvi Narayan Shah that was vandalized a day before while protesting against the government and parliament’s slow speed in declaring the parliament a supreme organization.
United We Blog 
Comments
321 responses to “No Religious Kingdom: Celebrating Secularism in Nepal”
Well this discussion is way outta my league I guess, but still I believe what you pay, you will get back. It’s a system which works and you really can’t beat it.
It nice to declare Nepal as a scular nation.However, it’s not a victory over hindus. It’s a chance to intensify the brotherhood between all religions. If the people other than hidu treat it as if they grabbed the power from hindus then there will be another revolt in the country and the result will again be REGRESSION.
This moment I would like to quote Neil Armstrong.
“A small step but a giant leap”
Let us unite as Nepali. This caste/religion system has divided us for years. It is time to build our nation. Let us join hands in hands and forget our bitter past. Lets be progressive. Lets be optimistic (rather than seeding crapy ideas like Shiva Sena and alike).
I am very happy that now our country is a secular nation. It is indeed a great leap for Nepali community.
Bir Sahid haru Amar Rahun
Loktantra jindabad
yeh….sant osh…i agree with you…..if nepal is to be knwn as hindu kingdom..then no..why can’t ppl’ from other religion en ter pashupa tinath?!….all religions shud be equal….thats a descrimination….!!
Most intelligent posters seem to be ok with the secular state declaration. I guess there will always be some people who find it difficult to be secular-religious bigotry exists in Nepal too.
Funny part is Prithivi Narayan Shah is taking the Red Flag.
In my view, just reading a paper is nothing. If it gets implemented, then it is good. But not all decisions are made with careful discussion.
A mob in the street has more power than these stupid politicians….the mob says …change the country’s name..and it will be done ?.its a pity…
It is one sided and hurried. Like some people said….making the country secular is gonna raise hell of problems..
..the recent decision by the indian govt to reserve 50% of seats to backward classes for govt jobs and studies in technical colleges is making hard-working students and youth fight in a do or die situation.
Well all religions have their positive and negative aspects.
The cow is a sacred animal to Hindus and that should be respected. Hey let us not sensationalize the issue of the cow to create doubts or divisions in peoples minds. This is how rumours get started…(Remember Hritik Roshan)
We are at crossroads here in Nepal. We have much more important issues to look at which is peace and stability.
It is dissatisfactory that Nepal has been declared secular state without any discussion. However, Nepal will always be a Hindu Samskritik Rastra though it won’t be technically. With the great philosophical tradition of Vedic culture, Nepal will emerge even significantly as Hindu center. It will come with its real glory, which was under shadow due to melting of Hinduism and monarchy in same pot.
Another thing, the proclamations aims to establish ceremonial monarchy in Nepal in real sense. Maoists and other short-sighted persons/groups will try to vandalize it, but we are firmly standing in favor of ceremonial monarchy.
Democrat Nepali
Prakashji,
Give Thekka to bharat keshar Singh and his followers to save hinduism. he is better person for that. I do not know where he is now.
Regarding ceremonial king i agree with you. The massacre of whole family of king Birendra raises doubts, because after that incident, how KG tried to take power from the people. Now I have suspicion that royal massacre was pre-planned.
Who dare to slaughter Cow openly!
All nepalease must be aware of the fact that COW is our national animal!!
Hinduism is not thekka of Bharat keshar or like. THere were Yogi Narahari Nath and Pandit Narayan Pokharel too. Pandit jee was killed by brutal Maoists. Let’s expell bharat keshar and like form hindu federation. Let’s restore people like yogi jee and pandit jee in the leadership of hindu federation. Spirituality is most important factor even in post-industrial society. It has been proved. Nepal’s vedic inheritance is something that makes us victorious over millions and millions years coming.
There was no need to declare country secular. Nepal is was and will be hindu rastra.
Saudi arabia is muslim country. Vatican is christian country. Mecca is to muslims, vatican is to christians what nepal is to hindus.
Hindus are third largest religion in world.
What is done is done. Personally I did’nt see any reason to pronounce Nepal a secular state. We have always been a safe haven and oasis for all religions. I see it as the removal of something unique. Further, I very much doubt that this will help Nepal get closer together, I think the opposssite will happen. Village people are the ones who are very conservative about these things. This will divide the country more.
I also noticed Mr. Hridesh Tripathi from Satbhavana party speaking in Hindi in parliament. Well I think this itself is also part of being secular, and like I said what is done is done. However, this should mean that we should be allowed to speak in any of our languages in parliament, and especially English, because many of our urbanites let’s face it have English medium education, and it should in no way be seen as a foreign language, it is a universal language and even the Indians have it as one of their key languages in and out of parliament. Look around us, we have everything written in Nepali but also English (sign boards, notices, advertisments, this blog site etc. etc.). So English should be given due recognition as a language to be used as well. I think this is a very important issue as Nepal can truly be understood by the world better and this would only benefit our economy and image.
sl;
Finally good to see a sensible person speaking in middle of all bhedas who are just happy because a useless decleration was made in between.
Answer me this since nepal is secular now…
1. Will you allow cow slaughter?
2. Will you allow muslims to go to parliament with their own cap? What will you say if they insist on not wearing dhaka topi or daura suruwal because it is related to neplese hinduism?
3. Will you allow remove the picture of pashupati nath temple from each and every note?
4. All coins of nepal have some temple, trishul sign etc. Will you change that?
5. Will you give national holiday for id? for christmas?
6. Will you change official calender to christian calendar followed in most of the countries?
And many more… nepal is going to lose its unique cultural place in world.
Even the United Kingdom is not a secular country. Now we are. If we take it in the correct spirit it is alright, if not we may end up with muslims saying that they will want to practice their muslim laws which will be very different from our Nepali laws. How do we tackle that? The British are not secular so when the muslims there said that muslim law should be enforced for muslims, the govt. said take a hike we are not a secular state.
When the Dalai Lama wants to visit what do we tell him? Do we piss China off now that it is a secular state? People ave already mentioned the slaughter of cows, but have a look at the other side, how about the slaughter of pigs? We will also definitely have an influx of misssionaries and evangelists coming in to convert people into Chritianity, who knows by the end of all this we could end up a majority nation of Christians?
I like the idea though of sl that English has to be a national language. We discuss with it here, we have it on our TV and everywhere. I do believe this will help our nation a great deal in this day and age of globalisation.
Ck2.
Exactly dear friend. People have to understand that hinduism in nepal needs reform to make society better. This declaration is not well thought out. Most country with high religious intolerance are secular countries. There are reasons why it is so.
Hinduism needs reform but declaring secular will only deform it. People who are unsatisfied will opt for other religions rather than making their religion better.
It took missionaries 400 years to convert whole brazil into christian country. With present day information technology it will take much less time for nepal. Also note that there are no anacondas here to stop missionaries.
Just to take revenge to Bharat kishori Singh and the king, the SPA declare secular state which is totally nonsense. It is divinding the nation not uniting. Even in the name of Hindu country, people were free to respect their gods and culture except cow is not allowed to slaughter. The stupidity of SPA will bring long term effect and drastic change in our culture. The globalisation doesnot mean to change the culture politically. I think people will not tolerate for emphasising unnecessary things just to become popular infront of certain sector. This will bring differences among the united people once people start to slaughter cow.
If Girija doesnot give damn to the god doesnot mean people will not give. If Madhav doesnot obey the hindu culture even in the death of his mother doesnot meand people follow him. Even in the developed country and educated person go to the church and follow their tradition. This is totally mess…..decision…
Lets change the flag of nepal. It has no green color for muslims, no white color for christians… It is totally hindu flag… its shape is also like the hindu flags used in temples and used by people in mahabharat time.
Lets make a green, red, white flag like india.
Now the television news anchor should not say ‘namaste’ at end of news. He should say ‘god bless u, saaalam, namaste’.
The SPA leaders have cheated us, those who like Nepal to be “Hindu Rastra.” We took part in people’s movement and chanted agains the king’s autocracy. At that time we were not denouncing our hindu identity. In fact, we had seen hinduism and the king just two matters. But the leaders treated as if hindu dharma is only and only associated with the king. So they took in granted that the defeat of the king’s autocracy is the defeat of hindu identity of the country. But they are wrong. Nepal’s hindu identity is much more inherent than they can perceive. They used their power and removed this identity technically, but the hindu philosophy will leap forward so tremendously that the world will be overwhelmed.
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This secularism issue is definitely a personal vendetta by SPA leadership. As Pashupati Rana correctly said – “the tyranny of the majority”.
Also it is a tyranny of the people with guns who have somehow convinced the SPA to pronounce Nepal a secular state. These people do not even believe in religion.
Lord Pashupatinath truly bless us all!
The wrong thing with people like us is, we skim the top and forget the bottom. Our habit of looking in the mirror but not beyond the mirror is the big curse of all Nepali. Being secular does not mean being secular in mindset. We as a hindu nation, proud to be one, had no religious conflict since the birth of a nation. But now, the floodgate is open.
We speak of secularism as if we have all the checks and balances as in US- separation of church and state. For us orientals (Asia), religion is personal based not as institutionlized as in Christanity or for that Muslim. Missionaries have taken this advanatge and are converting at record pace and same is with Muslim Madrasa. But now the table has turned by unwarranted, foreigners pleasing act of secular state.
Like I said, we are in process to lose that secular mindset by the very act of calling Nepal a secular state.
If you cannot respect rather trample the sentiments of majority then consequencies will follow. All I say is, we are in verge of losing our religious tolerance and this is not good for Nepal in the long run.
It is very to declare Nepal as secular. The SPA leaders not cheated us but millions and millions of Hindus of the world. I condemn this decision to make Nepal secular. Nepal must be Hindu Rastra.
gautamp
No, I also felt bad at the outset that Nepal is no more only one Hindu Kingdom in the world.But later I realised that it was a good decision to declare Nepal a secular state because Nepal is not only the home of Hindus. We have other minorities who want to involve themselves in the progress of the country without any discrimination against them. When Nepal was Hindu kingdom, they felt discrimnated in the society.
About cow slaughter, there should not be any problem because all other minorities should respect the religious sentiments of the majority Hindus. In India, being a secular State, cow slaughter is only allowed in West Bengal and Kerala where majority of Christians live.We should not be the prisoner of Hindu sentiment. Now all the races can enjoy their religious freedom.
The most imporatant aspect of this declaration is that peoples all religions and faith can live together harmoniously in Nepal. They also start feeling that they are inclusive in the new democratic set up.
layman you are complete idiot.
There are some minorities in nepal who want kings rule. Will you do it to please them? There are some minorities who want maoists rule… will you allow it to please them?
Who was discriminated in nepal when nepal was hindu rastra tell me. Who had problem with that except the maoists?
Once padma ratna tuladhar said that cow slaughter should be allowed in nepal. I remember thousands of people including muslims marched on street to oppose that senseless statement.
I wonder why people are silent now. Has the voilence of last 10 years made people lose their roots?
Nepal is land of Gautam buddha, It is land of pashupati nath… it is land of Sita. Its really sad that all these cultural aspects have been swept away by one declaration.
People are silent but not deaf. People with hindu sentiment are just shocked. No one in Nepal had expected such cheating. Declaring Nepal as a secular state is just blunder because this declaration says that being a hindu is not being a secular. In fact, hindu community practice tolerance. Do not force them to be angry.
I just can’t stop me laughing to those stupids who think hindhu dharma borrowed from india and brahman and chhetri came from india. How stupid! Nepal is the land of creation and the first settlers were gopals. That is ancient hindus with their cows. Nepal is native land of brahmans and chhetri. It is our motherland.
Few days earlier, in this very blog, many people had equated Hindu faith being foundation and basis of feudal autocracy. The SPA seems to have heard people who comment in this blog and, of course, to great Prachanda and Baburam. And the SPA and Prachanda must have calculated that the best possible way to revolutionalize our lives and break the back of the feudalistic society is to change the existing societal fabric. After all, we have given them ready-made excuse: it is “for people”.
I just can’t stop me laughing to those stupids who think hindhu dharma borrowed from india and brahman and chhetri came from india.
Yes. Sambhu. Perhaps according to these fools Gautam Buddha was muslim… and thousands year before him our Sita was born into christian family perhaps.
In india for last 55 years various groups are fighting to declare india hindu rastra… they have not got any success so far. In nepal a change of this magnitude is done without consulting anyone. What a shame.
Let maoists know that everyone is for democracy and economic equality. But under this grab no one can take away our cultural heritage. We are worlds only HINDU country. Hindu is third largest religion of world. It is not a joke. Hinduism is not only caste system.
Those who think hindu rastra means kingdom are severely wrong. I hate gyane. But I hate this decision very much. If someone has guts bring this issue to referendum.
Dear Sweet Weed,
It was and is mistake to equate Hindu faith being foundation and basis of feudal autocracy. Hindu dharma is scientific. It is eternal that is “sanatana”.
I think the parliamentarians should not have gone into this secular issue. I know that it means allowing all to practice whatever religion or beliefs they have (but really when has anyone stopped this when we were a Hindu nation?), but on the other hand it also opens doors for fundamentalism. And fundamentalists do not believe in balanced arguments unless the balance tips their way. It is easy to be idealist, but in the real world there are people who are waiting in the wings to make an initially innocent issue into a moot point to exploit and capitalise on.
Let us not be naive and pretend that the maoists have not capitalised on the secular issue to begin with. The SPA have taken the bait. I only hope that when it comes to more fundamental principles of democracy that the SPA have their socks pulled up tight and their hearts and their minds don’t flutter into oblivion.
Sri Jaya Guru Ganeshaya Nama. Jaya Bhadrakali, Jaya Mahankal, Jaya Sankata.
Its interesting to see the debate here from an outside perspective.
No-one is saying that hindus cannot practise their religion or must become atheists.
All that has been said is that the state is no longer involved in religion.
I’m sure that everyone reading this blog will acknowledge that there are a lot of citizens of Nepal who are not hindu. Why should the state alienate them and make them fell lesser citizens by saying its a hindu state?
It would be hard to deny that there is discrimination against lower caste hindus and non-hindus by the state at the moment, as it is hard to deny the concentration of wealth and property in the hands of the higher castes.
This is another reason to separate ‘church and state’ as we would say here, because otherwise the discriminations of the religion become institutionalised in the state, as in fact they have to date in Nepal, and without these changes the context necessary for Nepal to develope peacefully will come about more slowly.
And yes, for fairness and equality to come about, those with the most priveleges must give some of them away.
TALKING ABOUT HINDU HINDU HINDU,
There was no Hindu state before 1990 (KING’s regime).
It is not now. Why this hue and cry?
It was the mistake of 1990
to formally declear Hindu state .
From the proclamation we have achieved so many things,
but people are talking only about HINDU HINDU.
On the humanatory basis there should not be any religious
country. Nepal has shown an example. Others have to follow.
Being a secular state, now Nepal Army and other security force are not allowed to sacrifice animals in Dashara.If they do then they should celebrate Id and Chirstmas too. Even government and semi government institutions are not allowed to sacrifice animals to their vehicles. If they then they should respect other procedures of the other religions too. We must have Id holiday and chirstmas and new year holiday. We will have now four new years holidays. It means we have to cut many hindu festival holidays. Now government have to not only construct and reconstruct the temples but Masjid, Gumba and Church too. The government should also provide the fund to celebrate other religions.
Bogman,
This has nothing to do with the state alienating anyone. People have always been free to practice any religion under the law or not to. There are many governments that are not secular according to their constitution and yet are more democratic and secular in practice. Being a secular state in the constitution has little to do with realities of alienation and adversity. The nation where you have the most animosity amongst religions is India – very much a secular state. Northern Ireland is another secular state, but was and is an example of a country greatly divided among religious ground. While the U.K. a christian nation is the most secular in terms of belief among the population. Nations that proclaim to be secular can be more conservative with their religious practices then countries who claim to be christian, islamic, Hindu etc.
Secular nations have one thing in common – mass graves, and the reason is that they believe the government is the final arbiter of right and wrong and good and evil.
parfula,ram,basanta & freaky idiots like them,
Listen u craps!
I am also a Brahmin Hindu & I am very happy with Nepal being a secular state.I dont see a single problem with it.It neither degrades hindus from where they are nor lets any other minorities to do whatever they want.
It just secures,respects right of its every citizen to practice their religious faith irrespective of major or minor.
ABOUT NEPAL ARMY
Nepalese Army should be dissolved and should be used to develop infrastructures in the country.They may be given extra incentives which will from the money that is saved from stopping the weapons
similarity of ideas between me and gaule
we havn’t gained anything from being citizens of a HIndu country instead it had created crisis .We had to lose nothing from being secular.RAther it will increas the feeling of national integrity among all people.
we havn’t gained anything from being citizens of a HIndu country instead it had created crisis .
Sale sudeep.. what have you got from being son of your father? Why dont you call bill gates your father. The hindu religion that has been most tolerant of all religions. The place which gave birth to gautam buddha and sita will become religion less? Without any referendum.. without asking people what people want…
How many people who went to the streets in last two months were doing revolution for removing hindu country tag? can you answer?
Even if its poor country… nepal is best country for me… even if there are people like KG who misused hinduism hinduism is best religion for me. I will reform them. I will not disown them.
I hope next you will say… nepal should be named china or india because with the name nepal … it is not progressing.
Shut up idiots maoists the enemies of our great religion.
Being secular may be good. But it will definitely invite opportunists.
Big religions that have big money will come pouring in…and if it is one thing people can’t resist it is money (which provides, food, treatment, shelter). Mark my words, within 5 years more than half of the country will be converted to big religions.
HINDUISM IS SECULAR….
fanta,
Will SAUDI ARABIA and other muslim countries send money for Temples?? As they do for Mosques in other countries including Nepal???
Gauhle,
I am sure many of us have the ability to curse others but we refrain from the practice.
As for your claim to be a Hindu Brahmin it is neither here nor there and your beliefs whether you are a Brahmin, born into a Brahmin family or do not believe in God is your own. The argument is about the implications of announcing Nepal to be a secular sate, whether it makes a difference, whether it will create more division etc. and not about whether people are allowed to follow their beliefs because no one has stopped anyone here from doing so (except the maoists).
The ideology of being secular is wonderful, and Nepal has in practice been secular indeed. But, reality shows that the worst examples of religious violence and war have occured in constitutionally secular countries (see #136).
So the argument being, was the annmouncement necessary, and the fact that the announcement may in fact bring more trouble then not due to the fundamentalist elements that are always present.
As for Sudeep,
You write to use our only source of national security to do infrastructure work and then have your PLA do our security work? Is that it?
We already have the likes of the road department etc. handling infrastructure, maybe the PLA should lay down their arms and seek employment in infrastructure work instead.
I must say the two of you make suitable “comrades in arms”.
ALL YOU LITERATE PEOPLW WITHOUT ANY WISDOM, THINK TWICE BEFORE POSTING ANYTHING.
YOU ARE MISUSING FREEDOM OF SPEECH FOR ANARCHY.
ALL THESE SECULAR, RELIGIOUS AND COMMUNAL FEELING IS GOING TO DO NOTHING BUT DIVIDE THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY.
JAYA PASHUPATINATH, JAYA SWOYAMBHUNATH.
JAYA NEPAL
Basanta & ck2,
pity on u both.
Now as u cant defend the idea of Nepal being a secular state, u are blaming that we are( also included sudeep,i dont know him either) Maoists.
I dont understand u guys.Y the God hasnt given u the eye to see things in its way rather then blindly opposing.. & blame on others as what u oppose;Maoists in this context??
It seems u are blindly
criticizing Maoists.
It seems u are blindly
criticizing Maoists.
I want my hindu country nepal where there has been no religious voilence and which is holy land of two finest religions in world hinduism and buddhism.
I will criticize even father of maoist if he/they try to take away this right of mine without having any referendum.
Pity on you Gauhle,
For not understanding that I don’t defend the idea of Nepal as a secular state in the constitution. Infact I am against it. Please read before you comment. Nepal can only be secular if the citizens follow the principles of secularism themselves, not by some fart announcing it.
As for blindly criticizing the maoists – well I guess I am blind to see that they are still:
1. Extorting money
2.Recruting soldiers
3. Carrying arms
and very blind to see:
1. The recruitment of children
2. Bombs blasting little babies to bits
3. looting
4. Killing of journalists among other
atrocities.
Yeah, I am blind Gauhle,
And I guess you see them well, because you must be among them.