Read The Diplomat, get to know Asia-Pacific
Although it has foreign policy connotations, Prime Minister Dahal’s Indian international relations are more based on domestic politics.
Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal (front row, fourth from left) visits the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, June 11, 2023.
In Nepal, the Maoists were the main force behind Nepal’s becoming a secular state, which was achieved despite all that was achieved on 28 May 2008. Most of Nepal’s hardline Hindus saw the move as an official authorization to advertise Christianity. They cite the fact that Hindu-majority Nepal is the fastest-growing Christian country in the world since the secular state was declared. They blame Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda, who has recently become Prime Minister of Nepal. .
Because of this critical context, Dahal’s recent Hindu international relations have attracted a lot of attention, both for admirers and critics in Nepal.
Dahal’s Hindu international relations began in India. His stopover made the Mahakaleshwar temple in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh on June 2, 2023. Visiting a Hindu temple as part of his official four-day stopover was a choice for the Maoist leader. His first term as prime minister, 14 years ago, was marred by the dismissal of an Indian priest from Pashupatinath, the famous Hindu temple in Nepal’s capital. Dahal has diluted the cultural and devotional ties between India and Nepal with his excessive nationalist rhetoric.
But for his third term as prime minister, Dahal is striking a different tone. His decision to make a stopover in Mahakaleshwar is all the more surprising because he arrived before he set foot in Pashupatinath, which is just a short walk from his private and official apartments. in Kathmandu.
Finally, Dahal visited Pashupatinath on June 11, 2023. Al like his pilgrimage to Mahakaleshwar, it was not an individual matter. He visited the Pashupatinath temple with his cabinet mates, which earned him complaints from some of his colleagues.
Former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, who was the second Maoist leader behind the Dahal insurgency and is now a coalition partner, criticized Dahal temple diplomacy. In a Facebook post, Bhattarai said: “When the prime minister and the entire cabinet step into a devout position together, it takes on a political dimension and naturally questions and considerations arise. “
In another marked reversal from his previous positions, Dahal stressed the importance of teaching Sanskrit in June 2023. Dahal’s own party used to criticize the teaching of Sanskrit during its 10-year insurgency, from 1996 to 2006. The Maoists even burned Nepal’s only Sanskrit language. After 21 years, the Maoist leader visited the same university for his fifth graduation ceremony and described the scholastic importance of Sanskrit.
Dahal’s turn to Hinduism has political and diplomatic overtones.
On the diplomatic front, he has been accused of trying to curry favor with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, known for his Hindu nationalism. During his five visits to Nepal, Modi set out to visit top destinations such as Pashupatinath, Muktinath, Lumbini, and Janaki Temples, among others.
Modi’s endorsement of Dahal’s Hindu international relations was evident in their joint speech at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on June 1. Before concluding his speech, Modi said: “Right Honourable Prime Minister Dahal-ji, you will stop in Indore and the devout city of Ujjain. I am sure that your stopover in Ujjain will be full of energy and you will also have a spiritual experience on this adventure from Pashupatinath to Mahakaleshwar.
In his e-book “Why Bharat Matters”, India’s Minister of External Affairs, S. Jaishankar explained that India is the Hindu “civilizing power. “Dahal’s adherence to the Hindu heritage, customary in Nepal and India, would naturally be viewed favorably in New Delhi. He noted, however, that Dahal has also continued its Hindu international relations in China, which is waging a war for influence in India’s neighborhood.
On September 28, 2023, Dahal visited the famous Hindu shrines of Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar in Tibet, which is believed to be the abode of the god Shiva and a place of pilgrimage for Hindus.
China has highlighted its ties with Hinduism and Buddhism through its World Civilization Initiative. Therefore, it is diplomatically advantageous for Dahal to participate in this initiative by visiting the Hindu holy sites in China.
However, Dahal’s Indian international relations are not primarily based on foreign policy calculations, whether China or India. Rather, his replacement of the center stems from his desire for political relevance in Nepal’s competitive power games.
By making public displays of respect for Hinduism, Dahal hopes to increase his share of the vote among Hindus, who make up 81% of Nepal’s population. Dahal desperately wants to increase his support to achieve his party’s third-place finish. in Nepal’s smallest space in the upcoming elections.
Dahal has noted the growing popularity of Hindu votes in favor of other parties, basically the unabashedly Hindu monarchist RPP party, the fifth-largest party in Nepal’s parliament. He needs to take some of the Hindu vows.
For the three-time prime minister, squandering his ideology is less difficult than squandering his power. As a result, he blatantly courts Nepal’s Hindu voters, despite his long record as a defender of secularism as a Maoist leader. As Dahal himself said on his return from India to Kathmandu on June 3, 2023: “I’m not just a communist; I am also the Prime Minister.
In this sense, Dahal would possibly be taking inspiration from Modi, although not when it comes to foreign policy. Instead, Dahal needs to emulate Modi’s record of resounding election victories by copying his pro-Hindu playbook.
Understand Asia-Pacific’s biggest issues with a subscription to The Diplomat.
In Nepal, the Maoists were the main force behind Nepal’s becoming a secular state, which was achieved despite all that was achieved on 28 May 2008. Most of Nepal’s hardline Hindus saw the move as an official authorization to advertise Christianity. They cite the fact that Hindu-majority Nepal is the fastest-growing Christian country in the world since the secular state was declared. They blame Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda, who has recently become Prime Minister of Nepal. .
Because of this critical context, Dahal’s recent Hindu international relations have attracted a lot of attention, both for admirers and critics in Nepal.
Dahal’s Hindu international relations began in India. His stopover made the Mahakaleshwar temple in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh on June 2, 2023. Visiting a Hindu temple as part of his official four-day stopover was a choice for the Maoist leader. His first term as prime minister, 14 years ago, was marred by the dismissal of an Indian priest from Pashupatinath, the famous Hindu temple in Nepal’s capital. Dahal has diluted the cultural and devotional ties between India and Nepal with his excessive nationalist rhetoric.
But for his third term as prime minister, Dahal is striking a different tone. His decision to make a stopover in Mahakaleshwar is all the more surprising because he arrived before he set foot in Pashupatinath, which is just a short walk from his private and official apartments. in Kathmandu.
Finally, Dahal visited Pashupatinath on June 11, 2023. Al like his pilgrimage to Mahakaleshwar, it was not an individual matter. He visited the Pashupatinath temple with his cabinet mates, which earned him complaints from some of his colleagues.
Former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, who was the second Maoist leader behind the Dahal insurgency and is now a coalition partner, criticized Dahal temple diplomacy. In a Facebook post, Bhattarai said: “When the prime minister and the entire cabinet step into a devout position together, it takes on a political dimension and naturally questions and considerations arise. “
In another marked reversal from his previous positions, Dahal stressed the importance of teaching Sanskrit in June 2023. Dahal’s own party used to criticize the teaching of Sanskrit during its 10-year insurgency, from 1996 to 2006. The Maoists even burned Nepal’s only Sanskrit language. After 21 years, the Maoist leader visited the same university for his fifth graduation ceremony and described the scholastic importance of Sanskrit.
Dahal’s turn to Hinduism has political and diplomatic overtones.
On the diplomatic front, he has been accused of trying to curry favor with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, known for his Hindu nationalism. During his five visits to Nepal, Modi set out to visit top destinations such as Pashupatinath, Muktinath, Lumbini, and Janaki Temples, among others.
Modi’s endorsement of Dahal’s Hindu international relations was evident in their joint speech at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on June 1. Before concluding his speech, Modi said: “Right Honourable Prime Minister Dahal-ji, you will stop in Indore and the devout city of Ujjain. I am sure that your stopover in Ujjain will be full of energy and you will also have a spiritual experience on this adventure from Pashupatinath to Mahakaleshwar.
In his e-book “Why Bharat Matters”, India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar explained that India is the Hindu “civilizing power. “Dahal’s adherence to the Hindu heritage, customary in Nepal and India, would naturally be viewed favorably in New Delhi. He noted, however, that Dahal has also continued its Hindu international relations in China, which is waging a war for influence in India’s neighborhood.
On September 28, 2023, Dahal visited the famous Hindu shrines of Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar in Tibet, which is believed to be the abode of the god Shiva and a place of pilgrimage for Hindus.
China has highlighted its ties with Hinduism and Buddhism through its World Civilization Initiative. Therefore, it is diplomatically advantageous for Dahal to participate in this initiative by visiting the Hindu holy sites in China.
However, Dahal’s Indian international relations are not primarily based on foreign policy calculations, whether China or India. Rather, his replacement of the center stems from his desire for political relevance in Nepal’s competitive power games.
By making public displays of respect for Hinduism, Dahal hopes to increase his share of the vote among Hindus, who make up 81% of Nepal’s population. Dahal desperately wants to increase his support to achieve his party’s third-place finish. in Nepal’s smallest space in the upcoming elections.
Dahal has noted the growing popularity of Hindu votes in favor of other parties, basically the unabashedly Hindu monarchist RPP party, the fifth-largest party in Nepal’s parliament. He needs to take some of the Hindu vows.
For the three-time prime minister, squandering his ideology is less difficult than squandering his power. As a result, he blatantly courts Nepal’s Hindu voters, despite his long record as a defender of secularism as a Maoist leader. As Dahal himself said on his return from India to Kathmandu on June 3, 2023: “I’m not just a communist; I am also the Prime Minister.
In this sense, Dahal would possibly be taking inspiration from Modi, although not when it comes to foreign policy. Instead, Dahal needs to emulate Modi’s record of resounding election victories by copying his pro-Hindu playbook.
In Nepal, the Maoists were the main force behind Nepal’s becoming a secular state, which was achieved despite all that was achieved on 28 May 2008. Most of Nepal’s hardline Hindus saw the move as an official authorization to advertise Christianity. They cite the fact that Hindu-majority Nepal is the fastest-growing Christian country in the world since the secular state was declared. They blame Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda, who has recently become Prime Minister of Nepal. .
Because of this critical context, Dahal’s recent Hindu international relations have attracted a lot of attention, both for admirers and critics in Nepal.
Birat Anupam is a journalist in Kathmandu. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @birat_anupam.