KATHMANDU, NEPAL, May 20, 2006: Nepal Parliament’s proclamation declaring the world’s only Hindu Kingdom as a secular state has evoked a mixed response with the majority Hindu groups saying the decision has hurt the community. “The decision of the so-called Parliament has hurt the faith of the 900 million Hindu populace across the globe and brought about possibilities of a religious crusade in Nepal,” Shiv Sena Nepal president Arun Subedi said. The Parliament should not have panicked over preserving the only Hindu Kingdom in a world where 52 countries are declared as ‘Christian’ and 46 as ‘Muslim,’ the organization said. Arjun Lamichhane of the Bishwo Hindu Youth Federation of Nepal said the issue of secularism should not be raised in a country where religious tolerance has always prevailed.
A daily summary of world news for Hindus and non-Hindus alike