Why we should protect Nepal’s pluralism from opportunists

In Nepali politics, principles are often compromised, but Sher Bahadur Deuba's recent ideological reversal regarding secularism has drawn particular criticism. Deuba, a former prime minister and past president of the Nepali Congress, has abruptly emerged as a champion for a return to a Hindu state, despite years spent suppressing similar sentiments within his party. This sudden pivot occurred shortly after his return from East Asia amid money-laundering investigations and a leadership change within the Congress.

Analysts view this move as a political maneuver by a leader attempting to regain relevance after being displaced. The hypocrisy of this pivot is evident in Deuba's past actions. During constitutional debates in 2015 and subsequent Mahasamiti meetings in 2018 and 2024, he rejected petitions advocating for a departure from constitutional secularism, warning that such a reversal could divide society. Now, facing a leadership challenge and legal scrutiny, he is accused of weaponizing religion as a shield.

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The Congress’s deposed leader is better off accepting that the separation of religion from governance is the very bedrock of civic peace.

The article argues that Deuba is not alone in this opportunistic brand of politics, as senior politicians have historically used religious appeals to maintain influence at the expense of societal harmony. The author suggests Deuba should recognize that separating religion from governance is fundamental to civic peace. Philosophical arguments from Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Immanuel Kant are invoked to support this separation, with Rousseau noting that religions divide loyalty and Kant arguing that governments using religious doctrines treat citizens like children, demanding obedience through fear rather than respecting their rational autonomy.

By intertwining spirituality with politics, Deuba is accused of infantilizing the Nepali populace and reducing a complex, pluralistic republic to a mere congregation. The real-world consequences of this ideological regression are already apparent in regional friction. Advocating for a pro-Hindu political agenda systematically alienates Nepal's significant religious and ethnic minorities, including Buddhists, Muslims, Christians, and Kirat communities, potentially relegating them to second-class status. The article references recent communal clashes in the southern plains, where a minor dispute escalated due to amplified religious tensions, leading to curfews and transforming neighbors into adversaries. Furthermore, this religious shift is linked to geopolitical influences, with analysts pointing to the majoritarian influence of religion-based politics.

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By mixing the spiritual with the political, Deuba has infantilised the Nepali populace, reducing a complex, pluralistic republic to a congregation.