KATHMANDU, NEPAL, May 24, 2006: Hindu groups in Nepal, opposed to last week’s Parliamentary Declaration naming the country as a secular state, today blocked roads and shut down markets in the southern industrial town of Birgunj. The World Hindu Federation had made the call to close down the market in the town, an industrialist said. Transport services came to a halt as Hindu activists blocked roads by burning tires in the busy industrial city near the Indian border, They have demanded to re-convert Nepal into a Hindu Kingdom. They also stoned some public vehicles and chanted anti-government slogans, eyewitnesses said. Shiva Sena Nepal and Bishwo Hindu Youth Federation have already criticized the decision to turn Nepal into a secular state. However, Christian and Muslim organizations, including Nepal Christian Society and Muslim Ittehad Sangh have hailed the Proclamation that changed Nepal into a secular state.
A daily summary of world news for Hindus and non-Hindus alike