In this line, Nepal  celebrated Prajatantra Diwas (Democracy Day) on the national level, and Nepali Congress the Mahasamiti Day, on Monday (19th Feb 2024). Meanwhile, as many as 22 members of the Nepali Congress are spearheading the idea of restoration of a Hindu State in Nepal, which other members resist including in their agenda.

“The Mahasamiti Day meeting  held in Godavari, Lalitpur. The restoration of the Hindu State has been proposed by 22 members and a petition signed, and the party’s central working committee is likely to  accept it. However, since 81 per cent of citizens of Nepal are Hindus and even the Prime Minister and President take part in all rituals including the recently concluded Basant Panchami celebrations, the voice for restoration of Hindu State is gathering momentum,” said a source privy to information.

On Monday (February 19), the members supporting the restoration of Hindu State are looking at discussing what they call ‘Vedic Sanatan Hindu Rastra’. The former Prime Minister of Nepal Sher Bahadur Deuba is now holding the post of the president of The Nepali Congress.

Nepal officially became a Republic on May 28, 2008 with its ‘Secular’ constitution repealing the Hindu Kingdom under the influence of Maoist collaborators of China. The first meeting of the constituent assembly of Nepal took place on that day, ending the 240-year reign of Shah Kings.

“Even though Nepal is a secular State, it is proud of its Hindu lineage. In fact, the present leadership in Nepal —Prime Minister Pushpa Kamla Dahal and President Ram Chandra Poudel — are also keen that this restoration to Hindu State is debated about,” the source said, adding that all political parties were in support of this.

As per the statute, the Mahasamiti meeting should convene every year, but due to various reasons, it has been deferred since the 14th general convention in December 2021.

In a recent tweet in his X handle the RPPN Chief Kamal Thapa advocated, “Religious freedom and Hindu Rashtra are not mutually exclusive.
Democracy and monarchy are not mutually exclusive Both beliefs can coexist. These recognitions can be established through the current constitution through consensus and cooperation (for re-establishment of Hindu Rastra in Nepal).”

Now, the demand of Hindu Rastra in Nepal with the restoration of the kingdom as national tradition has got a momentum  as the political parties like Nepali Congress (NC) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party of Nepal (RPPN) are moving towards the same goal to assure people’s aspiration of Hindu Rastra in Nepal.

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_Inputs from TNIE & HT.