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A Rumour of Empire: The Discourse of Contemporary Hindu Nationalism in Nepal
Author(s) -
Wagner Luke
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
studies in ethnicity and nationalism
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.204
H-Index - 8
eISSN - 1754-9469
pISSN - 1473-8481
DOI - 10.1111/sena.12273
Subject(s) - hinduism , hindu nationalism , nationalism , secularism , christianity , hindutva , nepali , gender studies , religious studies , narrative , sociology , politics , history , political science , law , literature , philosophy , art
This article analyzes the discourse of contemporary Hindu nationalism in Nepal. Based on Hindu nationalist speeches and writings distributed between 2014 and 2015, this article demonstrates and explains the Nepali Hindu nationalist narrative that characterizes secularism as the product of a foreign conspiracy enacted in order to facilitate Christian conversion in Nepal. The article further illustrates how Hindu nationalist discourse suggests that imperial motivations lie behind the conspiracy. Four factors are crucial to understanding the emergence and valence of this narrative: 1) the historical relationship between the state and Hinduism in Nepal; 2) the pervasive sense that foreigners regularly interfere in Nepal's domestic politics; 3) the growth of Christianity in Nepal and its increasing visibility; and 4) a pre‐existing association between secularism and Christianity in Nepal's nationalist discourse.