The controversy over the decision of the Maoist government of Nepal to force priests from Karnataka at the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu to resign and appoint Nepalese priests in their place threatens, among other things, to turn into a fullblown bilateral row between India and Nepal.
On the one hand, BJP president Rajnath Singh has written to Nepal’s prime minister Prachanda urging the reinstatement of the South Indian Bhatta priests, and the Vishwa Hindu Parishat (VHP) has alleged the Maoists were eyeing the priceless jewels in the 17th century temple. On the other hand, the Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav has “expressed concern” over the sacking of the priests.
Question: Should Indian politicians interfere in the religious affairs of another country? Merely because we are an 80 per cent Hindu nation, does it give India the right to dictate terms to the “Hindu Kingdom” or any other country for that matter? Is Nepal, now the world’s newest republic, within its rights to embark on temple reforms? Or are the “godless” Maoists playing politics by making the temple the centrepiece of Nepalese identity?
Should the government of Manmohan Singh step in?
churumuri 
If the “mere” fact that we are 80% Hindu does not give us the right to protect Hindu tradition in a country whose regime threatens this tradition and shows every sign of doing greater damage, then I feel liberals would do well to show the boot to the Pope and interested Christian countries who send “concerned” delegations to India even when their missionaries are the trouble makers. Same goes for “concerned” Islamic countries.
In fact, I want to know what Churumuri readers think of India’s liberal quietitude wrt to Malaysia and it’s persecution of Hindus?
Again, were similar questions raised when our dear treacherous Yechuri happily hopped about between Nepal and India trying his best to make the Maoist “landing” obstacle free?
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Most of them are Kannadiga priests. It is certainly Churumuri business!
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Its because of the dumb foreign policy of the UPA that maoists gained control of Nepal. Now China has a handy tool whenever it wants to prick India. So no point talking about Pashupatinath temple, since we have very little say in the matter. Heck they may even destroy the temple in the name of “cultural revolution” and we will just sit tight with thumb up our asses.
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Karihaida,
If that happens, this very blog will be very happy.
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The priests have been there for 300 years!!! Why are they still being considered as Indians and not Nepalis. Isn’t this suppression of rights!!!. Communism is eating vomit of brain dead!!
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Well, I think, unfortunately, we’ll have to accept that Nepal’s business is their own. Consider how wild we get when the US, or European countries, try to poke their nose into our affairs.
Attempts by India to interfere with Nepal’s business will create resentment there. And believe me, there is a lot of anti-India resentment in Nepal already.
It is a different matter that it need not have been this way. India’s foreign policy over the decades has been guided more by ‘pie-in-the-sky’ niceties rather than realpolitik and geostrategic concerns. Our ‘leaders’ still talk about ‘Non Aligned Movement’ and other dead stuff. The way we have handled our case for a permanent seat in the Security council is another example of our screwed foreign policy.
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i don’t think it is proper on the part of indian politicians to dictate terms or interfere in the internal matters of another country.
these pundits, who hail from india, migrated to nepal centuries ago. now they are more nepalese than indian. let the law of the land take its course.
india is just making relations bitter by interfering in this matter. india shud not interfere just bcoz these pundits have origins into india or because it is a hindu country (in fact india is not even a hindu country. but nepal is)
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well, well. We dont want Indians to work in different parts of India (ref Biharis in Mumbai) however we want to force other countries to employ Indians.
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@Narayana,
You are absolutely right. They are also Nepalese.
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So Mr. Palahalli the trouble makers are not the Pope and his missionaries but those who indulge in rape and burning of minorities and backward castes. For your information, the Pope is not asking to replace the priests in Indian churches with foreign priests. If you want the Pope to desist from commenting on the persecution of the Christian missionaries, then the Hindus may have to detach itself from the Hindus of Nepal. Dear Narayana, if the priests were for 300 years, then why do they consider themselves as Indians or more specifically Kannadigas!! (And in Nepal do they really have such longevity?:-) Or is it that they want to keep their Indian identity and at the same time remain as priests in Nepal?
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It is a place which is of vital importance to a large section of our population – and a lot of Indians do go there for pilgrimage dont they? If China suddenly decided Manassarovar was to be blasted away/made into a mall/garrison etc., should India sit idly by?
Of course not. When the government spends billions on Haj subisidies and the like, it is expected for it to take a stance when it concerns temples as well.
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Annonymys : Swami Lakshmanananda and his ashramites did not commit suicide nor did Satya Darshini print itself!
These are just two glaring recent examples. There is an entire corpus out there that documents the miserable doings of these missionaries. Yeah, I’m talking about trouble makers.
“You” haven’t asked the Pope to shut up have you? Then don’t preach Hindus in India from doing whatever, to protect their interests in Nepal, the manner they deem fit.
Did you also stop the Yechuri quisling from acting the “waiter” in Nepal?
Why are you so worked up about Hindus protecting themselves and their traditions ANYWHERE in the world??
Something to chew on – http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14830900&?vsv=TopHP1
It’s amazing how quickly and easily our liberal boneless wonders love to buckle under the first available sickle!
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Annonymys,
Yeah, you’re right!
Churches here don’t preach in Kannada(in many places, especially in the prime time!), of course their main concern are the migrant sheeple.
Any attempts made by local people to remedy that has been painted as conspiracies by the Hindu Right to disturb the Xian Right.
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I bet Prachanda like the mythical demon-kings must have raided the temples and commanded them to worship him and the great Mao instead of their pantheon, our priests must have refused and headed back!
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Nepal has generally been a thorn in the flesh for India. Its wayward conduct has caused more problems for India, than is generally known, including the hijacking of IC plane to Kandahar. Nepal has been harbouring forces inimical to India, be it ISI agents, Bangladeshi extremists, to name two. The latest episode of expulsion of Indian priests from Pashupatinath temple is another hostile act in the series of hostilites shown by Nepal. But for its small size, Nepal with its attitude could have caused greater problems. India’s laize fair attitude is the source of this problem. Besides, Indian pilgrims to Pashupatinath temple have contributed greatly. Their views cannot be ignored.
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Palahalli: As soon as the word ‘trouble-making’ is mentioned , you are reminded of Swami Lakshmanananda. There are other names like Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col S P Purohit etc. The whole lot Hindutva parivar from Gujarath also to be remembered.
You said :’It’s amazing how quickly and easily our liberal boneless wonders love to buckle under the first available sickle!’ Thanks for exposing the guiding principle of the aforesaid!!!
‘Protecting themselves and traditions’ is not the same as usurping the locals from their own temples , isn’t it?
‘Trouble-making’ is the one and only agenda of the Hindutva Parivar, isn’t it?
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Ravi: Please go and get acquainted with the church goings before commenting ‘Churches here don’t preach in Kannada(in many places, especially in the prime time!), of course their main concern are the migrant sheeple.” All the church, and that includes the churches in Karnataka as well, conduct their mass in the language of the majority of the congregation. Only in churches where there are people from different parts of India speaking different languages conduct their mass in different languages. When the congregation is mostly Kannada speaking the ‘masses’ are invariably conducted in that language. An outsider like Ravi may not like it, but then the ‘mass’ is for those who believe in it and not for for some language fanatic.
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Ravi: the comment ‘I bet Prachanda like the mythical demon-kings must have raided the temples …………….” is silly to say the least. Have you ever thought what brought a communist like Prachanda to power in Nepal, the only Hindu nation in the world? Hasn’t the ‘tradition and religionof the land’ had something to do with it, in the negative way? Historians say the caste system in the society (read religion) is the main reason behind the gradual fall of India from its glorious past to the present sorry state. Good or bad, wasn’t Nepal revolting against such a society?
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1. I wonder why Indian Hindus get agitated over Nepali temples
2. I wonder why Indian muslims get agitated over Palestinians being attakced.
3. I wonder why European countries get angry over Indian Churches benig attacked
4. i wonder why indian political parties like MDMK get agitated over Sri Lankan Tamils.
Whether we are hindus, muslims or christians, INDIA comes first, we should botehr about our country’s problems and not other countries problems..
Similarly other countries should shut up and not interfere in india’s problems (whether it is attack on churches or babri masjid demolition)
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Annonymys – As usual you parrot the usual “missionary position”. Don’t you get tired of these lies?
For all you’re money power and for all Hindu “evils”, you fellows are yet to grow from 2.5%!
You have nothing to say about the Maoists taking heat from Nepalese themselves, for their callous attitude toward their traditions.
You will have even less to say about such Maoists making mincemeat of Churches and Christians when the time comes. But as long as Hindus and their tradition is the target, you over-eager scavenging rats will feed on such waste as comes by!
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@ Simple… simply great comment!!!!!
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Well said Palahalli.
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@Gururaj
First of all India has benefited a lot from Nepal. It sends all of its poor from Bihar by the millions into Nepal. These people do not get along with the local people. The squat on local property and claim it for themselves–while being in the country only recently! The South of Nepal was forest till fifty years back to the people from India who live there are very recent migrants. They commit crime and the locals do not like them. People from Nepal go to India but the Biharis coming into Nepal is in the millions–there is no comparison. In fact, the South of Nepal which was beautiful once looks like Bihar and is unrecognizable now. Some poor people from Nepal might go to India but this is nothing in comparison to the millions that get sent into Nepal from Bihar.
Soon Nepal will be an extension of Bihar and Bangladesh from all the Bangladeshi immigration.
The temple priests from India are corrupt–they have done nothing to repair the temples and the temple is in an abject condition. What did they do with all the temple donations? The Maoists are correct to question them and the locals know very well their greed. The are going to be replaced with local Brahmin priests. Got any problem with that? Those priests have already built large houses for themselves in India with temple money so they will retire happily there? Everyone happy.
It is true however that the Maoists neglect the culture. But they did not come into power for nothing. Nepal was ruled by a corrupt feudal monarchy. But at least the borders were controlled. Now there is no control. I remember a few years back when I was there one did not even have to lock doors in Nepal. How the place has changed.
Why are Indians complaining? 30% of the people in Nepal are from Bihar anyway and it is only growing larger.
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Yes, and the Indian government did nothing to prevent the Maoists from taking over–in fact the Congress leader Sonia did not even grant them a meeting, but when they won elections Congress was eager to meet them.
I heard the Congress leader of India is a high school graduate with no education.
Is this why Congress has a high school vision for its political party? Even
Nehru despite all his faults would be rolling in his grave to see who they have appointed to lead the Congress party.
I think it is a shame. Do you mean to tell me that in a country of 1 billion there are no Indians to lead a party. Even Sarah Palin is a superior creature in comparison because at least she has some qualifications.
Talk about a people’s colonial DNA not being shed!
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These priests are very corrupt and take the money to India where they have built large houses for themselves. This is what people from there tell me. The only people on their side are some locals who worked for them, no one else is opposing because no one likes those corrupt priests. The Pashupati Nath temple is in a miserable condition. What have the priests been doing with the money other than hording it for themselves? So replace them with local Hindu priests. There are not any Brahmin priests lacking there. What seems to be the problem?
Hindus should be more aware of where their temple money goes to–the Pashupati Nath Temple is a case in point.
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@Gururaj
It is not India’s laissez faire that is the problem. It is Nepal’s laissez faire which allows Maoists to come in from India and other criminals from Bangladesh and Pakistan and other countries. Nepal has become Bihar with all the Bihari immigration which is uncontrollable. Beautiful neighborhoods have become slums.
I recall in the eighties, Nepal was beautiful. The country might have been poor but you could go treking anywhere alone and you were safe. No one would hurt or rob you. There were no beggars in the streets like in India. People lived humbly but they lived with dignity. All that has changed now. The Maoists are unable to control the open borders and most of the South of Nepal looks like a crowded Indian city. What became of the times when one never locked one’s door in Nepal? The Maoists have done a lot of damage to the country. At least under the corrupt monarchy Nepal was still recognizable and there was some order. Now there is only chaos and the borders are open for all criminals from all over to come in an carry out their activities.
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India’s moronic policies can we seen in the case of the recent flooding in Bihar. The dam was built in the sixties and there were problems with the dam, but mostly Nepal had been suffering from the flooding which occurred within the Nepali borders. Nepal had been warning the Indians for quite some time about the river and the dam which was built by Indians, but it took massive flooding in Bihar for them to finally to even begin recognizing that there was a problem with the dam. This is how politics works in India.
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@palahalli
I used to live near Pashupati Nath temple when I was in Nepal in the eighties. My grandmother used to go to temple and wake up at four a.m. everyday to do so. It is well known to the locals how corrupt the priests are. If a fat Marwari donates a lot of gold, the priests give attention to him. But if locals donate a few rupees they are ignored. People in Nepal are way too nice and tolerant and do not protest anything. Pashupati Nath temple is crumbling. Why? Because the temple funds are being stolen. Who is doing the stealing? The only people who support these priests are a variety of Newar priests who work under them. NO ONE likes them. There are plenty of local Brahmin priests. These people were brought in by Prithvi Narayan Shah, the founder of Nepal, and the tradition continued. But with their corruption, they have hit themselves on the foot so it is time for them to retire and have the local priests take over. Is there anything wrong with that? I do not like the Maoists but they are right in this case.
As for the South of Nepal, it was all forest until the fifties. The only people who lived there were some tribals who were immune to malaria. People like my grandfather went from the mountains and settled there–he would go down on his horse and have land cleared and then return to the mountains because no one could live there because of malaria. After Nepalese from the mountains started to settle there, there began massive immigration from Bihar which has a border with Nepal. These people, although HIndu, have a different culture and do not get along with the folk from the mountains. I do not blame them. They are poor
people who are looking for a better life which they do not find in crowded Bihar. Not only these people, but Bengalis are also pouring in. Many are Muslims and the Muslim population is on the rapid increase in a country with no Muslims before and from less than 1% they are almost 8% now! Thanks to Saudi funding, now there are mosques all over Nepal.
These recent immigrants from Bihar who have been in Southern Nepal for less than 50 years, are agitating for independence. Incredible but true. At least the former monarchy was able to control borders. Now there is no control. Terrorists and criminals from all over are coming in to Nepal and carrying on activities as no one bothers them in Nepal. The Congress government had a very bad policy towards Nepal, a fellow Hindu kingdom. Rajiv Gandhi had an economic blocade of Nepal and this created a lot of anti-Indian feelings. How stupid Indian policy is towards Nepal. You would think that it would have common interests with a neighbor which is a Hindu kingdom and it would try to win the support of Nepal. But no! The BJP is much better. I hope for the sake of India, BJP comes to power. Marxism and Islam is in the rapid rise in our areas and Hindus are like sheep. You go visit Lumbini, the birth place of the Buddha in Southern Nepal–it is in a neglected condition, while all around are squeaky clean mosques. Where did they pop up from suddenly and who gives money to construct them? Do Hindus ever ask themselves these kind of questions?
My husband is Kashmiri. Their house was burned down by Jihadists and they left Kashmir, where their ancestors had been living for 3000 years. 400,000 other people were expelled by terrorists. Many lived in refugee camps in their own country. But since they were an educated group many came out of camps and are successful people in the modern world. No one helped them. They helped themselves. Of course, the government did nothing for them as they are a small group and their votes are expendable. Now can you imagine if 400,000 Muslims had been kicked out of Kashmir by Hindus? What would happen? Uproar by the international liberal media and perhaps global Jihad to support the terrorists. The failure of Nehru’s idealism is shown by the fact that 400,000 his own people were ethnically cleansed in Kashmir.
When I look at the easy attitude of Hindus, I fear for the area. Hindus are like pathetic sheep from what I have observed. I hope they wake up and start seeing what is happening around them before it is too late. They have lost Kashmir and most Indians are not even aware of this. They go to visit Jammu and think all is well there. This is what a few Indians were telling me the other day. How ignorant they are of what is happening in their won country. They will gradually lose places like Assam. Even Nepal will gradually be Muslim in a few decades if Maoists are unable to control borders.
Hindus will blink one day and wonder how all this happened. They deserve it because they are passive sheep and have no unity amongst themselves.
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Also my husband is Kashmiri. They were kicked out of their homes by terrorists in Kashmir along with 400,000 other people. The Indian government did nothing for them. They helped themselves and many left the refugee camps and are now successful people in the modern world, as they were a group having the highest literacy rate. But whose who relied on their land are still living in the camps. Imagine if this many Muslims had been kicked out. The international liberal media would be in uproar and there would be global JIhad to help the terrorists in Kashmir.
I think Hindus ought to wake up and stop behaving like sheep. If things continue this way our areas will be Marxist and Muslim. Even in Nepal squeaky clean mosques are being built and with massive immigration of Muslims from Bangladesh, Muslims are increasing in a country which had no Muslims. I fear for our culture. Hindus are pathetic sheep from what I have seen.
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I hope the BJP comes to power in India. At least they respect our Hindu culture.
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@Palahalli
In case you did not know, the South of Nepal which resembles Bihar now was all forest in the fifties. The only people who lived there were some tribal groups who had developed immunity to malaria. My grandfather used to go down there on his horse from the mountains and had a lot of land cleared. At that time many people from the mountains migrated there. After deforestation there was massive immigration from Bihar. These people although Hindu have a very different culture from the mountain people and do not get along with the mountain people. I do not blame them, they come because they are poor and are looking for a better life. Now the immigrants from Bihar in the South are agitating for independence being there for less than fifty years because they do not get along with the people from the mountains! The Maoists were a response to the corrupt monarchy of Nepal and its feudal society. But the Maoists have lost control of the country. The borders are open and anyone can come into Nepal including terrorists from Paksitan and whoever wants to carry on criminal work in Nepal. The country is in a detestable situation after the Maoists took control. Before at least there was law and order. The only crimes that occurred was petty thievery. I recall you never even had to lock you house in the early eighties. All that is changed. In the neighborhoods you see people who are not locals and Nepal has become crowded and ugly.
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What do you mean? I lived in Nepal for several years in the early eighties, right next to Pashupati Nath temple. I know the place only too well and I know the priests are corrupt which is why the locals do not like them. Why is Pashupati crumbling? Because temple funds are being stolen by the priests and the funds are not being used to repair the temple. By grandmother recalls how rude the priests are. They pay attention to fat Marwaris who donate gold but do not even give prasad to locals who donate a few rupees. The only people who support these priests are some Newar priests who work under them and have benefited money wise. But I can tell you the locals do not like them and are mostly happy that they will be replaced with local priests. They were brought by Prithvi Narayan Shah and there is no need for them. There are enough local Brahmin priests who can perform their function. I am unable to understand what the fuss is all about. However, I also do not like the Maoists. They are destroying all cultural atrifacts.
India has had a moronic policy towards Nepal. Now they are going towards the Chinese because of the moronic policies of the Congress party which even economically blocaded Nepal in the eighties. You would think that Nepal being Hindu, India would help maintain the Hindu culture. But no!
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Larissa, it would help if you posted some evidence to support you’re accusations.
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Larissa,s statement about the Terai region are pure opinion, not based on facts. The open borders have benefitted Nepalese more than Indians. I am Ok about the priests> Why only Nepali Brahmins, anyoone who has a knowledge of the scriptures and can perform the rituals in acordance should be able to become a priest. Have a test in the scriptures and a practical exam in scripture based rituals, and how well a priest can explain the significance of these rituals in the common man’s language and then chose the best priests whatever their caste.
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Well I stated Brahmins because in Nepal no one knows the scriptures or Sanskrit other than Brahmins or perhaps researchers or professors.
The Terai people are agitating for independence and have been quietened down. It is not opinion. The only people who lived in the Terai 60 years ago were Tharus an aborigianl group which was immune to malaria. It is not too much to agitate for independence when you have lived there less than 50 years? What is opinion about that?
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Yes when in INDIA anyone who can perform rituals can become a priest. You seem a lurking LEFTIST or a MARXIST.
The population of Nepal has increased from 15 million from the days I was young to 30 million and is ever increasing with Biharis having 10 children.
Hindus are morons. They cannot get out of slavery. That is why their culture is over. They don’t realize it and that is why they are considered the wimpiest of all everywhere else outside of India. Any people that cannot protect itself and its culture and is unwilling to fight for it does not deserve to exist. That is my evaluation of them. Soon they will approach 2 billion–and they will blink like cows and wonder what happened?
Sorry I am frustrated that some of my posts have been deleted, perhaps they did not agree with the PC thought police here.
Yes others can be in charge of temples when they learn Sanskrit. No one studies Sanskrit in Nepal except for Brahmins and some Buddhist monks.
NO ONE in any country is for open borders except for LEFTISTS AND MARXISTS. What is a couple of million in a country like India. But it makes a difference when they migrate to a country like Nepal. Nepalese might go to India in the hundreds of thousands. This is a drop in the ocean. Indians come to Nepal in the millions. Why would 30% of Nepal be of Bihari origin otherwise?
One thing foreigners always noticed about Nepal that it was not crowded like India. People are used to having space. Now all this is over. Anyway the place I knew is no more and the country resembles one large Indian slum.
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I suggest that we export a new team of archaks to Nepal: Vishveshwara Bhatta, Lakshminarayana Bhatta, Prathapasimha Bhatta, ithyaadi.
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“For all you’re money power and for all Hindu “evils”, you fellows are yet to grow from 2.5%”
Considering the stench from the decaying backyards of these communalists, your concern about the growth is understandable.
The growth happens through social upliftment with education. True the evil forces try their best to reverse the trend through terrorism and suppression through subtle untouchability.
The corollary is that the communalists spreads in the most socially and educationally backward regions ( read M.P, Rajasthan and Gujarath etc). Gujarath, so rich and so abysmally backward in its social character!
Figure out why they landed only in Karnataka whereas they still haven’t got a foothold in any of the other three Southern States.
The Nepalese did it right, they entombed the traditionalists and their religions that only precipitated decadence in their country.
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larissa:
I guess you’re beginning to mix up lots of different points here. I can understand your points regarding Bihari migration to Nepal, it is very much possible that things have happened that way – I believe what you say. However, linking this migration with several other problems you’re pointing does not really make much sense.
The solution to most of your stated problems lies in a population control law, but guess what: The traditionalists and “men of God” will be the first ones to violently object to such a move by the Govt. It is another matter that they’ll never really be able to enforce the law, even if they make such a law.
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Annonymys – So “growth” happens with Christianity? Would you want to discuss “growth” in cultures of the last 500 years to present day, that were converted to (read-destroyed by) Christianity?
If you want to stick to India, let’s talk about “growth” in Christian majority states vs Hindu.
You claim “growth” toward Christianity is hampered by Hindu terrorism and “subtle” untouchability. Well well, that’s quite a show and I thought missionaries went where no Hindu would go!
In spite of Larissa’s frustration, Prachanda, the Maoist backed down. So much for Hindu “weakness”.
And yes. Larissa, you do seem overly frustrated and angry. You’re abuse of Hindus might make the grade if you would qualify and limit to Liberal Hindu scum. Not otherwise.
Islam has become more of a threat to the West and looks like Christians are losing especially in Europe. Case in point, Britain and the Netherlands.
It is not sufficiently realized that liberalism is the cause of this great plague. Majority of Hindus are NOT liberal. That is why “Annonymys” and Co. find it so difficult to convert even those of our people who might have a case. Because the first thing that “Annonymys” would do is abuse their Gods. That repels. The second reason being “cheques bouncing” off Annonymys and Co.’s account. Huge fraud!
The West increasingly, is losing it’s God/s. This is another reason why I wish the White Christian recovers quickly. It is only he that can stem the plague. No one else can. No one else will. Guns and bombs have limited use. Even idiots who speak about “peaceful” Islam can and do bomb Muslim countries. That’s not the whole solution.
If I were Larissa, I would be very worried –
The Hindu will suffer for he truly sleeps – One needs to wake him up.
The West will suffer for they are awake and pretend to sleep – What does one do here but suggest a Conservative take-over.
If one wants illustration, look at “Annonymys” and his ilk applauding Maoist gangsterism in the name of “justice”! Larissa, in supporting this nonsense, truly goes over board.
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‘Larissa, it would help if you posted some evidence to support you’re accusations.’
Palahalli, after hearing so much you are asking for evidence. Photographs? interviews? Why don’t you go to Nepal yourself once and investigate?. At least you can ask the people there to get the temple surroundings cleaned!!
Yes, you said it right ‘missionaries went where no Hindu would go!’ Only the goons followed for fear of their stinking backyards getting exposed to the public.
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Palahalli,
Did you notice that Larissa and Annonymys are one and the same :)
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Annonymys – You truly freak me out buddy! What part of Larissa’s post do you agree with? The lil bit about Prachanda throwing traditional priests out or the lil bit about her recommending Nepali Brahmins in their stead?
I won’t argue more than necessary with a missionary propagandist. Waste of time.
By you’re admission; Hindus are there where missionaries are. What you call them may be a rat’s concern.
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Larissa, in supporting this nonsense, truly goes over board.
I do not support the Maoists. I detest them. The old system was bad but there was law and order. But when a corrupt monarchy abuses a people to an extreme extent, the result is a Maoist takeover.
I only supported the Maoists questioning of where the temple funds that disappeared over the years. If the priests have been corrupt, let them be replaced by new local ones. This has nothing to do with being a Maoist supporter.
All I know is that Nepal has changed for the worse. But there was a time when you did not need to lock doors, there were no beggars on the streets, people might have been poor but they lived with dignity, and you were safe wherever you happened to be. All that is gone.
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I might have a weird name like Larissa here but I am a Hindu Brahmin married to another HIndu Brahmin, although from Kashmir India. His folk seem to have become exterminated in their country by Muslim terrorists and have vanished as an ethnic group, in that they are forced to be scattered all over the coutnry. The other day I was talking to some Indians and they were telling me how the situation in Kashmir has improved lately! Improved! But what to do? Ignorant Hindus who do not know what is happening in their own country. Most probably cannot even distinguish between Kashmir valley and Jammu. Look at how India treats its own HIndus and does not care to preserve places from where Hindu culture and civilization came to be. They meekly hand it over to Muslims without a fight. Is it because they were enslaved for 1000 years that they are unable to distinguish what is their own? Soon their grand kids will wear Burkas and they will blink and wonder what happened? I do not dislike Biharis. Only I dislike them when they agitate for independence when they have been in a country for less than 50 years. They come into Nepal because Bihar is a hell hole and Nepal is not quite a hell hole yet but headed to be one just like Bihar. I do not support Maoists but I know Nepal since I was born there and lived there when I was very young and visit regularly.
Nepal had a very corrupt monarchy and a feudal system. The only developments that took place were in Kathmandu. The rural areas were completely neglected. When they overthrew the Monarchy, the brief period that followed ushered in more corruption and chaos. That is why the Maoists took over. However, judging them from their policies, they have not done much good so far. People in Nepal are not aggressive like in India, so no one questioned the disappearance of the Pashupati funds till the Maoists did so recently. There is also treasures of thousands of years in the Royal Palace. I wonder what will happen to that. Stolen no doubt.
Anyway, when you have room for gay pride parades in Nepal when the country produces nothing, you know the place is headed for deep trouble. The Maoists are destroying all cultural artifacts and are against religion. They have not been good for the country because they do not control borders and criminals from all over come into the country now and are free to carry out their work in peace–Muslims, Maoists and all. I am not surprised if somehow the Mao Marxists are somehow connected to the Islamic terror groups and their funding comes from the same place. The biggest problem which they do not even recognize is Bahgladeshi immigration and the Muslim population is on the rise. You go to Lumbini–the Buddha’s birth place all in ruins but big, clean mosques all around. Nepal has had no contact with Isalm, so it does not realize what Islam does to a place. Mosques have popped up everywhere. Saudi funding I guess.
Anyway, Maoists will destroy what good is left in the country and when Nepal becomes a wasteland they will realize what they did and then it will be too late.
I do not see why Indians are complaining. Nepal is headed to be an extension of greater Bihar or worse.
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Palahalli: ‘What you call them may be a rat’s concern.’ You are truly gifted with the language of the gutter. Obviously the gift of your tradition and religion I suppose.
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Larissa
Please do not engage in personal attacks. If I was a Marxist I would have asked for puja to be eliminated. Anyway is the rquirement for a priest not be that he/she is well versed with the scriptures? BTW the person who has been appointed by Prachanda has a PhD in samskritha.
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Annonymys – ‘What you call them may be a rat’s concern.’ Did this sentence hurt you?
Hmm…now you’ve placed me in doubt. I don’t think you’re missionary material at all…because if you were, you would have felt at home with such language..
I do apologize ;)
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Palahalli,
Yes missionaries are needed at homes from where such language originates. When you brush your teeth, that is if you do ever do, try to brush your brains (whatever is remaining of it) as well.
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Annonymys – No..you’re really too good to be missionary material…honest :)
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India’s record on protecting Hindu interests abroad is dismal. Trinidad, Fiji, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Bangladesh have been victimising their Hindu populations for decades.
I share Larissa’s grief over the half a million displaced Kashmiri Pandiths. If India was unable to protect the constitutional rights of the Hindu minority within its own borders, how can we expect it to ensure fair treatment of Hindus in other countries?
Perhaps we are beginning to watch the end of Hindu India. Within the country, a full third of the population has discarded Hinduism in favor of Budhism. We should also remember that historically de-Hinduising India began in the eleventh century and it is unlikely that the process will close shop.
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Pulikeshi the Last – I cannot agree with you’re assertion on Buddhism allthough I’m not opposed to it personally. Is there any data you can provide?
And I feel there is no need to feel pessimistic. Imagine, if we (Hindus)were to think like this…how should the Europeans feel?
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Palahalli–
Among people opting out of Hinduism: Dalits and other historically oppressed communities. They are thirty-seven percent of the nation’s population. Add to that number the twenty percent from other persuasions. That makes Hindus a minority stakeholders at 43 percent.
Then there are educated urban women who have little sympathy for a religion that has patriarchally held them to a niche not of their own choice.
Just how many of Ambedkar’s champions have argued against becoming Buddhists?
No Shankaracharya can restore Hinduism to the primacy it once enjoyed.
Perhaps the question is, what has Hinduism done for India?
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Perhaps the question is, what has Hinduism done for India?
India exists as a cultural entity because of Hinduism. The world respects India for this–at least those educated in the West as I have seen and not some dimwit liberals who hate their own Western culture.
Without this India would be no better than sub-Saharan Africa in its history.
But after being enslaved Hindus have lost any kind of original spark and the toxic media run by dimwits and Hindus who are in a state of amnesia regarding their history seems to make it worse.
Making some paltry economic gains as techies is no cultural renaissance as some seem to think.
@Pulikeshi
Hinduism in favor of Budhism.
There is nothing wrong with Buddhism–it was created by Hindus as a remedy to include those left out by the caste system. If India had continued to allow Buddhism and not Islam the sub continent would be today a different place. Who wrote the Buddhist tripitaka? Upper caste Hindus who converted to Buddhism, you forget. Buddhism is just a growth of one of the philosophical schools of Hinduism.
The real problem is the growth of Islam which is an Arab cult and is just Arab nationalism.
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Pulikeshi the last – Sweeping generalizations.
“Among people opting out of Hinduism: Dalits and other historically oppressed communities. They are thirty-seven percent of the nation’s population. Add to that number the twenty percent from other persuasions. That makes Hindus a minority stakeholders at 43 percent.
Then there are educated urban women who have little sympathy for a religion that has patriarchally held them to a niche not of their own choice.”
– Would you have any data to back up these claims?
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Syllogistic proof is many times as valid as empirical evidence.
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Also defined as a “specious piece of reasoning”. I don’t agree. Need more.
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