Nepali Lawmaker Pushes for Constitutional Amendment to Reinstate Hindu State

A Communist Party lawmaker in Nepal has called for a constitutional amendment to designate the country as a Hindu state, citing secularism's failure to enhance Nepal's global standing and internal issues such as youth emigration and economic downturns.

A lawmaker from Nepal's Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) has called for a constitutional amendment to re-establish Nepal as a 'Hindu State.' Speaking in the lower house of federal parliament, Kirankumar Sah made a rare demand for a Hindu state on Thursday.

Sah criticized the secularism enshrined in Nepal's Constitution of 2072, claiming it has failed to secure the nation a respectable position internationally. He cited Nepal's unsuccessful bid for the World Health Organization's (South Asia) Regional Director's election as evidence of secularism's shortcomings. Sah noted that when Nepal was a Hindu state, it gained significant international roles, such as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 1969 and 1988.

Further criticizing Nepal's current state, Sah mentioned the forced emigration of Nepali youth, the closure of colleges and industries, and abandoned fields and villages. He argued that the constitution, touted as the best in the world, has neither brought progress nor preserved national identity. Therefore, he advocated for constitutional amendments to declare Nepal a 'Sanatana Hindu State.'

(With inputs from agencies.)