‘Impact of Secularization in Nepal, counter ideas and movement taking place currently’

“Secularization is the process whereby religious thinking, practices, and institutions lose
social significance”. - Wilson (1966)

This exemplary definition of secularization expresses that secularization is the declining

importance of religion in society. It has been widely adopted. Secularization is a social transition
wherein religious values are step by step replaced with non-religious values. In simple terms, it
is the extent to which society is becoming less religious.

Nepal was declared as a secular state and suspended the political powers of the king on
May 18, 2006, thus putting an end to the two-centuries-old Hindu kingdom. Nepal’s secular
status was restated in the Interim Constitution of 2007, without specifying a particular model of
secularism to be established, and finally, on 28 May 2008, Nepal was announced as a secular as
more nations modernize and move away from religious values toward mainstream ones and the
situation is no different in Nepal. Secularism has been a fundamental step in the bigger task to
make new, inclusive and republican Nepal, however, it has likewise prompted a public debate on
the connection between religion and the state.

Among leaders and activists of other religions than Hinduism, the understanding of
secularism is the equality of all religions and providing special treatment to marginalized
religious groups. Thus, the residents of a secular state must have the freedom and opportunity to
practice their religion and follow their particular manner of life, and distinctive personal laws
ought to be applied to various communities. Leaders are certain that secularism, if it is well
implemented, is a guarantee to various religious communities that they will be allowed to extend
and affirm their rights and privileges. Nonetheless, they emphasized that their circumstances had
worsened after the declaration of secularism. Fear and insecurity had grown in the communities,
as Hindus started attacking Muslims, Christians and so forth as though they had asked for
secularism, which they had not done. According to them, secularism has brought to Nepal a kind
of communal hatred. It incited a strong reaction from Hindu fundamentalist groups, which feared
that secularism would make other religions stronger and Hindus weaker.
 Secularization gives a chance to every single religious minority, people, and small parts of
society an equivalent chance and right to observe their religion unreservedly, setting none of the
religions on a higher platform but this has led to a lot of controversy here in Nepal.
Despite introducing “secularism”as a contribution to the modernization of ‘New Nepal’ a lot of
opposition surrounded it. The legal prohibitions against conversion and cow slaughter are the
central focus around which the opposition to secularism is based. For anti-secularist Hindus,
secularism implies allowing proselytization which means the unfair conversion of illiterate
people who would be lured by economic advantages and cow slaughter. The most repetitive
argument was that secularism gives religious minorities these rights, prompting disrespect and
communal violence. They fear Secularism will give a free way to cow slaughter, hurting the
feelings of Hindus: people will kill cows in the name of secularism, thinking that they have the
right to slaughter cows.

Likewise, there have been arguments that secularism permits conversion, attracting poor
and illiterate people through money to another religion: thus the 'non-proselytizing' Hindu
religion will vanish. The royalist and Hindu nationalist Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal (RPP-N)
and supporters are projecting Hinduism to be under danger, asserting that missionaries are
looking to convert Hindus to Christianity, a 'remote” religion, using''allurement `` or''power ``.
They regard that the external forces are drawing poor families and making them inclined to
become Christians. This is frequently associated with the argument that secularization will make
Nepal lose its identity and culture: Christians are converting our indigenous people. In this way,
they are forcibly removing our dignity as Nepali.

People tend to argue that the triumph of secularism over the Hindu identity of the state in
Nepal has brought all castes and communities in the junction, where generally acknowledged
identities are not just working. The Madheshi as well as all, even 'Pahadi' Brahmans and Kshetris
are influenced by this. However, the effect is even significant on account of the Madhesi people.
The Madhesi individuals of Nepal, for whom the religious and national identities were
practically the same currently have lost the bond of togetherness, being Hindu residents of a
Hindu country. They often discuss that as Nepal has a majority of the population as ‘Hindus’,
then why not Nepal.
 Another frequent criticism is that secularism was chosen without consulting the general
public, by just a couple of politicians. According to the critics, it is a foreign concept forced by
countries which do not implement true secularism inside their own borders. Secularism is a
western idea that started in Europe when the division of Church and state has become a
significant concern. Nepal had never had an organized Church, so people argue that secularism
itself is not understandable in the Nepali setting. It is a politically forced choice that is not
supported by the population, which is in majority Hindu and ought to reserve the right to decide
by referendum or by choice. They believe when Nepal was a Hindu state people belonging to all
religions stayed in harmony yet now as an impact of secularization the harmony is reducing day
by day and is being replaced by disparity and hatred.

The royalist and Hindu nationalist Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal (RPP-N) have been
demanding a Hindu-nation since the declaration of secularism in Nepal. They conducted huge
protests after the promulgation of the Constitution of Nepal in 2015 AD. Since then they have
been raising their voice demanding a Hindu Nation now and again.

Secularism was one of the greatest achievements of minority religious groups who were
suffering from religious discrimination as it ended two hundred years of two-century-long Hindu
dominance. This has become a disputed topic as the state has not been able to clarify about the
subject matter clearly. The misinterpretation of this concept has led to dispute. People are less
aware of the different features of secularism; religious conversion has been interpreted as the
main feature of secularism.

In the heterogeneous society like Nepal, there are plenty of spaces where full religious
freedom of one could easily become a threat to others. To counter this the state should play a
major role to address the dissatisfaction of people. Politicians should stop playing with the
religious sentiments of the people for their own self interest .There is a need for action from the
state to ease the situation because conflict spreading now is more political and less religious.

State interference in the religious matter is somehow essential for basic human rights of
people and especially in the context of Nepal where religious practices such as witchcraft,
untouchability and so on have denied access of basic human rights to people. Also, gender
equality cannot be achieved if the state does not intervene in the religious activities as women
have been suppressed in the name of religion for a really long time.

Nepali secularism deals not only with the religious freedom of individuals but also with the
religious freedom of minority communities. The state must play a role to end the religious
denomination of Hinduism. It’s high time to acknowledge that we have to build our own kind of
secularism, one that does not exclude others, while ensuring an integral identity among all ethnic
groups. The imposition of secularism in Nepal without proper public support has opened a lot of
debates and has made the religious communities more prone to disparity and hatred thus, the
state needs to act upon the matter with serious consideration so that the secularization does not
bring more hatred and disparity among the religious communities.