Hindu bodies' protest Nepal's secularisation(LEAD).

[Guest guest]

V K Bansal <vkb (AT) winmedicare (DOT) com> wrote: "V K Bansal" <vkb (AT) winmedicare (DOT) com>

"Imedia" <ivhpmedia >

Hindu bodies' protest Nepal's secularisation(LEAD).

Wed, 7 Jun 2006 17:36:01 +0530

 

Hindu bodies' protest Nepal's secularisation(LEAD)

 

By Sudeshna Sarkar, Indo-Asian News Service

 

Kathmandu, June 6 (IANS) Hindu organisations Tuesday continued their protest

against Nepal's secularisation, once the world's only Hindu kingdom, with

parts of southern Nepal being shut down as protesters called a 48-hour

closure.

 

The Dharma Jagaran Manch, an umbrella organisation of various Hindu outfits,

called a two-day shutdown in Bara and Parsa districts, the industrial hub of

Nepal, to protest parliament's decision last month to declare Nepal a

secular state.

 

Educational institutions, shops, markets and offices remained closed with

public transport disappearing from roads on the first day of the shutdown.

Though there was no untoward incident, tension gripped the two districts

that had last month seen a bout of vandalism by mobs during protests called

by Hindu groups.

 

Birgunj town in Parsa district, an important commercial centre due to the

presence of a dry port and its proximity to the Indian border, has also been

the hub of activities by Hindu groups in the past.

 

The World Hindu Federation, (WHF) a controversial organisation pledging

support to King Gyanendra, held two of its anniversary celebrations in

Birgunj with the king as the chief guest.

 

The WHF and Shiv Sena Nepal have been among the most vocal Hindu outfits

expressing their displeasure at Nepal's transformation into a secular

country.

 

Bharat Keshar Simha, president of WHF and one of the advisers of King

Gyanendra, was reported to have sent envoys to Hindu groups in India, with

whom it has strong links, for support.

 

Simha, a retired army general, sent emissaries to Rajnath Singh, chief of

India's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Bal Thackeray of the Shiv Sena and

Ashok Singhal of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Nepali weekly Ghatana Ra Bichar

reported.

 

However, Nepal's new government has pledged to control any vandalism or

sectarian violence.

 

According to Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula, royalist forces could be

behind the disruptions with the aim of creating anarchy. The government

would not allow law and order to be disturbed, Sitaula had said last month

when the disruptions first erupted.

 

Copyright Indo-Asian News Service

 

Thanks/Regards

 

Vinod Bansal

Prant Media Pramukh

Indraprastha Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Delhi

M - 9810949109

e-mail - ivhpmedia