Why Nepal’s secular fabric is facing its toughest test yet

As fluid networks and external influences stoke communal fires, Nepal’s reactive security approach is no longer enough.

The recent unrest in Tarai-Madhesh, triggered by a communal clash in Devanganj, Sunsari, on July 26, has reminded Nepal of its vulnerability to religious friction. The Nepali state has historically relied upon coercive force to maintain fragile peace. Such reactive measures are insufficient to address the undercurrents currently threatening the nation’s social fabric. It is now a matter of national urgency that the government initiates a rigorous and transparent investigation into the burgeoning influence and tactical operations of extremist religious outfits whose activities are increasingly linked to the propagation of religious hate in Nepal.