KATHMANDU; Participants at an interaction organised by the Centre for Ethnic and Alternative Development Studies (CEADS) have maintained that Nepal can not return to Hindu state in the foreseeable future. They also said that there was no alternative to secular federal democratic republican set up.

Addressing the talk programme, former general secretary of Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) Bal Krishna Mabuhang claimed that despite the declaration of secular state, Hindu religion still holds sway over the country .

Referring to the recent meeting of some UCPN-Maoist, Nepali Congress and CPN-UML leaders and Kali Baba, he said, “They were trying to use religion as a base for politics.”

Speaking on the same occasion, senior journalist Kanak Mani Dixit said there is a weak presence of government as reflected in the precarious security situation in the country. He said that the peoples’ lives and property are threatened as criminal activities are on the rise. He echoed Mabuhang’s contention arguing that Nepal can never become a Hindu state despite the strengths of the Hindus in the country. Buddhist scholar Pasang Goparma accused the political parties of being responsible for the existing conflict including that on religion.