03/31/2019 Nepal (International Christian Concern) – Earlier this month, the pro-Hindu Rastriya Prajatantra Party launched a campaign to reestablish Nepal as an official Hindu nation. This campaign comes at a time when religious minorities are reporting increasing attacks on their communities at the hands of Hindu radicals.
Currently, Nepal is officially a secular republic. However, Nepal was a Hindu kingdom up until 2008. With the launch of this campaign, many religious minorities are concerned for their religious freedom rights if Nepal was to return to being officially a Hindu nation.
Open Doors USA currently ranks Nepal at 32 in its list of top 50 countries were Christians are persecuted. The group cites religious nationalism as one of the major causes for attacks on Christians and other minorities.
On March 15, Pastor Dhruk Kumar was attacked and beaten by a group of unknown assailants in Nepal’s southeastern district of Sarlahie. While Pastor Kumar’s attackers identified themselves as Maoists, local Christians believe the attackers were likely Hindu radicals.
