Nepal is the only Hindu state in the world and a source of pride for Hindus all over the world. The once peaceful abode of Lord Pashupatinath has now become the victim of the international conspiracy against the Hindus. The terrorist activities of the Maoists, the proselytising activities of the Christian missionaries and the anti-national activities of the Islamic fundamentalists have wrecked the lives of the peace loving Hindus and Buddhists.

Maoist Insurgency

The Maoist insurgents of Nepal who are misguided by an ideology discarded by history are killing innocent civilians and threatening Nepal’s fragile economy. Drawing its inspiration from communist China, the bloody Maoist insurgency has claimed more than 7,000 civilian lives since 1996. The 70,000 plus Royal Nepal Army has not been able to contain this violence and more than 7000 soldiers have lost their lives. The government declared the Maoists a terrorist group and imposed a state of emergency in the country in November 2001. The Maoists run parallel government in many of the districts of North Nepal. They indulge in anti-India and pro-China propaganda. The Maoist hit areas in the mid-west of Nepal are the closest by distance to New Delhi than any other existing insurgency in the whole of India. Already, with long-standing conflicts on ethnic, religious and sectarian lines, the last thing India would want is a critical situation to develop right at the top of its head. A sustained conflict in this area may gravely expose the entire Indo-Gangetic plain. Several of the outlawed Maoists are suspected to have received shelter in various parts of India and it is believed that these terrorists are mobilising their cadres from India. Nepalese Maoists guerrillas have publicly accepted that they have contacts and working relations with various Indian extremist forces like Maoist Coordination Council of West Bengal and People's War Group of Andhra Pradesh.

Christian Missionaries

The proselytising activities of the Church in Nepal began in 1951 but only 25 persons had been converted upto 1960. The anti-conversion laws of the state acted as a check on the spread of Christianity. In 1991, the withdrawal of the anti-conversion laws by the new government propelled the activities of the missionaries.  In an organised effort made by missionaries from all over the world, the Church is carrying out its activities in all 94 main cities of this tiny kingdom, out of which in 66 cities no Christian was found till 1992. With unlimited funds received from the west, there are 582 missionaries actively working in Nepal, out of which only 155 are of Nepali origin. Centres for preaching Bible and priesthood have been established. There has been a flood of Christian literature to which significant contribution has been made by Bible Society Bookshop and Operation Mobilisation. Tapes and cassettes propagating Christianity in 88 local dialects and languages are being circulated. Programmes on Jesus and Christianity are broadcast on the radio. 400 priests who had been arrested on charges of illegal conversions, have been released. Thousands of Sherpas and Tamangs living near the Mt. Everest have been converted. The Tibetan refugees are being converted by providing them with necessities. The result is evident from the fact that while the population growth rate in Nepal is 2.1%, the rate of growth of Christians is 13.5%.

Islamic Fundamentalists

In 1971 the total number of Muslims in Nepal was seven lakhs which rose to sixty-five lakhs in the year 2000. In the last decade, there has been a remarkable growth in the number of mosques and madrasas mushrooming along within the 10 km belt along with Indo-Nepal border. Studies conducted by Independent organisations have shown that there are 343 mosques and 367 madrasas in the bordering districts on the Indian side and 291 mosques and 195 madrasas in corresponding Nepal side. In the last five years, more than 45 new mosques and 41 new madrasas have sprung up in 10 districts, Rupendehi, Kapilvastu, Nawalparasi, Bardia, Banke Kailali, Mohattari, Sarlahi, Parsa, Sunsari and Morang. Many of these madrasas are fully or covertly indulged in anti-India activities. The Islamic Yuvak Sangh of Nepal (IYSN) is receiving funds from various Islamic countries and has been conducting anti-India propaganda from the madrasas. The founders of some of the madrasas are known to have been associated with the ISI and are recruiting Nepalese Muslim youth and sending them to Pakistan for training by the terrorist groups. The premises of these madrasas are being used for providing shelter to ISI agents, gunrunners, criminals and for other anti-India activities.

The most surprising aspect is that in spite of their ideological differences with the Maoists, the Church and the Islamic fundamentalists are supporting them in bringing down the Hindu rule. All these anti-Hindu powers have united in severing Nepal from its rich Hindu heritage and are putting in their best efforts to inculcate anti-India feelings in the heart of an average Nepali. This is evident from the ban imposed on Sanskrit education.

India has disappointed Nepal and failed in its big brother role. A small Hindu nation has very understandably looked upon its larger counterpart for support. But the secular scribes of India seemed to be prejudiced against this small Hindu kingdom. The King of Nepal had asked Pt. Nehru for permission to import goods via Calcutta port which the Indian government refused. So, the Nepal government had to use the Chittagong port in East Pakistan. Further, India’s silence in the Chinese invasion of Tibet sent out a signal to the smaller Himalayan countries that they could not expect any protection from their big brother. Also there ceased to be any buffer between Nepal and China as was the case of India. Learning lessons from the Chinese attack on India in 1962, Nepal had to be careful in its dealings with communist China. The rise of communism in Nepal became possible, as over a hundred years of Rana misrule with its limited social base had kept the soil fertile enough for its rise. In the first pamphlet published by the party, it declared, "the Chinese people became victorious under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party and the revolution has come right at our doorstep in Nepal. We must also follow the same course”. With the rise in Maoist insurgencies the elite of Kathmandu feels that India is not doing enough to help in bringing back the normalcy. Moreover, it has often explicitly been said that India is actually harbouring the Maoist leaders and because of the non-cooperation of India, Nepal has had to face so much of hardship.

India-Nepal relations are rooted in history and we share a rich cultural heritage. The relationship is anchored in a rich web of people to people relations, including family and kinship relations. It is in recognition of this that India and Nepal have an open border and it is for this reason that India should attach the highest priority to its relations with Nepal. A chaotic, messy and politically confused Nepal can never be in the interest of India. The turmoil can well be used by those elements that are inimical towards India and want to use the situation for anti-Indian activities. Rather a prosperous, stable and friendly Nepal can be an asset for a growing power like India.

Nepal is today on the verge of a civil war. In an hour when anti-religion and anti-Hindu powers are bent upon destabilizing and bringing down the only Hindu state in the world, it is the moral duty of India to rise up and protect its younger brother.