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Nepal

NEPAL is famous for having the highest mountain in the world - Mount Everest and the pictureque Himalayan mountain range. However, the people of the small land-locked country are amongst the world's poorest. The country is coming to terms with significant political changes in recent years, including the end of the ten-year Maoist insurgency and establishing itself as a Democratic Republic.

Historical Background

The Mallas, former rulers of India, were forced out and settled in Nepal in 1200.  Initially this Malla period in Nepal was an extension of the dark ages. Raiders from North India plundered the Kathmandu valley five times before 1311, when they raised the city of Patan.  Worse, a horrendous earthquake in 1245 destroyed the entire valley, killing a third of the population.

Nepal as a state emerged in its present form only in the late eighteenth century when the small hill kingdom of Gorkha, some 80 miles west of Kathmandu, brought much of the Himalayan foothills and an adjoining strip of North India under its control, and the Kingdom’s Shah Dynasty moved its court to the Kathmandu valley. The system of rewarding soldiers and officers with tracts of land in lieu of pay in the Terai area north of India brought Nepal into conflict with the British in 1810. In the treaty signed in 1816, Nepal lost all territory outside its present east and west borders and most of the Terai. Although the Shah’s remained on the throne from 1846 to 1951, effective political power remained in the hands of the Rana family, who became hereditary prime ministers and ruled the country as a personal estate.

In 1951, the Rana system was eventually brought down by an alliance between the monarchy and modernising intellectuals, with decisive backing from newly independent India; and a policy of seclusion from the outside world was finally abandoned.

Though a multi-party constitution was adopted as far back as 1959, it made little practical difference and it was only in 1979, after an election, that political parties were eventually allowed to campaign. But even after the first parliamentary elections in May 1981 little changed. Real power stayed in the palace.  Despite increases in foreign aid the average Nepali benefited little, while Kathmandu’s political elite continued to prosper.

Pro-democracy agitation in 1990, coordinated by the Nepali Congress Party (NCP) and leftist groups, led to street protests that were brutally suppressed by the security forces resulting in deaths and mass arrests. However, King Birendra eventually bowed to the pressure and agreed to the establishment of a Constitutional Monarchy.

In 1991, the NCP won the first truly democratic, multi-party election and G P Koirala became prime minister. This was an important watershed in Nepal’s political history and while the King managed to peacefully emit day-to-day political power to a democratically elected parliament, he nonetheless retained absolute control of the armed forces.

In the next decade, infighting between politicians led to increasing political instability and frequent changes of government. Against a backdrop of ineffective and largely introspective governance, many Nepalis (particularly in areas far from the centre of power in Kathmandu) became increasingly frustrated and disillusioned with so-called democratic government. So far as they were concerned it was not benefiting them in any way.

This grassroots disillusionment led in February 1996 to the beginnings of an insurgency, when members of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) carried out simultaneous raids on government offices, police posts and private businesses.

The violent campaign that followed over the next decade embroiled the government, political parties, the King, the police, and the army in a violent conflict against some 15,000 highly motivated and trained guerrillas. Two short-term ceasefires, in 2001 and 2003, both failed and the conflict grew even more intensive with wide-spread disregard of human rights by both sides. It is estimated that, between 1996 and 2006, more than 15,000 people died in the insurgency with many thousands more injured.

In June 2001, eight members of the Royal family were massacred, including King Birendra. Crown Prince Dipendra, in what seems to have been a long-running dispute with his parents over permission to marry, shot them both dead, as well as six other members of the royal family, before finally turning the gun on himself.  

When Crown Prince Dipendra died a few days later his uncle, Gyanendra, was appointed King and almost immediately began a sharp crack down on Maoists insurgents. But the war brought him into conflict with Nepal’s aging politicians, dismissing a series of prime ministers.  In February 2005, King Gyanendradismissed the elected government and assumed absolute power himself.  Disgruntled politicians turned to the Maoists, whose reform agenda was generally widely accepted, and, in the spring of 2006, protests and strikes beginning in and around Kathmandu spread throughout the country which, in April that year, eventually led to a huge and last minute climb down by the King.

With power back in the hands of the politicians, the King was immediately striped of his powers and reduced to being a mere figurehead.  Parliament was reconvened, a ceasefire declared and both sides agreed to hold elections for a new Constituent Assembly to redraft the constitution. Nepal was also declared a secular state, ending its status as the only Hindu kingdom in the world - something warmly welcomed by the Christian community as they anticipated this would give much more freedom to the Nepali church.

Throughout 2007, negotiations continued between the reinstated democratically elected government and the Maoist leadership about the way forward for Nepal. After several setbacks, nationwide elections for the new Constituent Assembly were eventually held in April 2008.  Much to everyone’s surprise the Maoists topped the polls with around 30% of the vote. Nepal was declared a Republic on 28 May 2008 and King Gyanendra given just two weeks to vacate the royal palace in Kathmandu.

There is much ‘bridge-building’ still needed between politicians on all sides if progress is to be made towards building a new, more prosperous nation in which the majority population have a real say and the root causes of poverty and injustice are truly addressed.  There’s a huge need for peace-making, including finding ways to deal with the hurts and pains caused by the conflict over the past decade or more. One major issue that will not be easy to resolve is the question of the Maoists giving up their weapons.

Geography

Nepal has been described as a yam stuck between two boulders.  The two boulders are India, and China. The two most populous countries in the world and traditional giants of the Asian mainland, they surround Nepal on all four sides, keeping it locked into the Himalayan Mountains and away from the ocean.

There are few places in the world where geography is such a dominant factor in the life and character of the people. Everything from tropical jungles to artic tundra is squeezed into an area some 500 miles east-west and 110 miles north-south; a land mass approximately 25% greater than the island of Ireland but with a population of some 28 million, more than five times that of Ireland, North and South combined.

Nepal can be divided into three distinct zones of different heights that stretch across the country from east to west. All along Nepal’s northern border with China run the Himalayas, the highest mountain range in the world. At an altitude of 4,000 metres and above, this, The Himalayan Zone, accounts for over 25% of Nepal’s land area.

There are eight peaks over 8,000 metres including Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak. Not surprisingly, only 10% of Nepal’s population live in this high area, where the snow cover on the peaks lasts all year round. Cultivation is possible up to 4,000 metres, the main crops being potato, millet and barley. The people living here are nomadic, keeping large herds of sheep and yak, and travelling backwards and forwards over the high mountain passes between Tibet and the ‘summer pastures’ in Nepal.

Next to this northern mountainous area is the middle zone – The Central Hills. These hills can rise as high as 3,000 metres with steep river valleys running through them. Some 40% of Nepal’s population lives on these steep-sided hills.  In the east, the hills are jammed close together and the slopes are very steep, but compared to western Nepal this region is more prosperous. There are more schools, roads, medical services and development projects available in the east; while in the west, schools and medical services are still very inadequate, and there are no roads, electricity, or industry – a reminder that Nepal is still one of the poorest countries in the world.

In the Central Hills, the higher land is devoted to potatoes, soya beans and mustard; while on the lower slopes, wheat, maize, fruit and vegetables are grown. The lowest and wettest land is used to grow rice. Water buffalo are kept everywhere for meat and milk.  Goats, sheep, pigs and chickens are also numerous.

Within the Central Hills lie the two principal valleys of Kathmandu and Pokhara.

Kathmandu is the cultural and administrative centre of Nepal, though regional planning and development is decentralised.

The final and southern zone lies along the Indian border and is known as The Terai, where 50% of the population lives even though this region accounts for only 15% of Nepal’s total land area. This 20-mile wide strip of low-lying land is the only truly flat area of the country – a land of jungle and heat, tigers and elephants, and an area where malaria has only been brought under control in the recent past.

The Terai is Nepal’s ‘rice-bowl’. The land is fertile and, with forests being cut back, up to three crops per year are being grown. Crops include rice, maize, sugar cane, mustard, jute, tobacco, peanuts and cotton. The Terai is also Nepal’s industrial centre. Summer temperatures in this region can reach 40 degrees C and above.

It is said that Nepal is good to see but difficult to live in. The building of roads and maintaining them mean there are many remote places where there is no road access.

The southern border with India is basically an open one - often marked by a series of concrete pillars, and even these wander ‘back and forth’ at times! This has sometimes led to problems between Nepali and Indian segments of the population; mainly over job and land rights.  With the development of democracy, and the fresh approach by the government in Kathmandu, the importance of the Terai will grow, as will its economic importance.

Society and Culture

Just as Nepal’s physical geography is the study of the meeting of two different land masses, its human geography is the study of two very distinct bodies of people. From the south came the Indo-Aryans and from across the Himalayas came Orientals (Mongoloid). Nepal’s populations are distinguished not only by race but by completely different religions, over a dozen languages, and a dozen distinct cultures. Nepal is a nation of immigrants. People who crossed the high Himalayan passes tended to stay in those higher elevations, people from the south tended to favour the low lying river basins and river valleys that reminded them of the hot plains of India they had left behind. More than 50% of the population live below the poverty line.

Before the collapse of the Rana regime, Nepalese who received any formal education at all had usually either had private tutors at home or attended schools in India. In 1950 there were fewer than 330 schools in the whole of Nepal and the literacy rate was under 5%. While this has greatly improved in the past 50 years, it is reckoned that today less than 50% of children go to school, which is not free. Thus a good education is still beyond most children in Nepal.

Most parents will still say, “The more boys the better; just spare us the girls!” Boy babies mean another worker, another support for parents in old age, another son to conduct the important funeral rites for them. The birth of a girl means more responsibilities and expenses for parents. They have to be protected until married and then there is the arduous task of finding a suitable husband, agreeing a dowry and the heavy burden of the wedding expenses to be borne.

While the caste system was officially abolished in 1963, old habits die hard. Hindus are still born into a particular position in society. Your name remains your identity card, it tells your job, your position in society, who you can marry, and who you associate with. To escape your caste you must change your name and move to a community where no one knows you and no one who knows you will ever come. The Hill tribes are outside the caste system and in general are considered somewhere in the middle of society without high status but without the severe restrictions of lower castes.

The dead are cremated at the side of a river soon after death. After the cremation, preformed by a son and probably his most important duty, the ashes are thrown into the river. All Hindus wish to die and be cremated by the side of the Ganges, the holy river. If possible, Nepali Hindus will travel to Varanasi on the banks of the Ganges to die.

Economy

Nepalis among the poorest and least developed countries in the world with almost one-third of the population living below the poverty line. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for 75% of the population and accounting for 38% of GDP. Industrial activity mainly involves the processing of agricultural produce, including jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain.

In recent years, security concerns relating to the Maoist conflict have led to a decrease in tourism, a key source of foreign exchange. Nepal has considerable scope for exploiting its potential in hydropower and tourism, areas of recent foreign investment interest. Prospects for foreign trade or investment in other sectors are likely to remain poor, however, because of the small size of the economy, its technological backwardness, its remoteness, its landlocked geographic location, its civil strife, and its susceptibility to natural disaster.

Much of Nepal’s income is generated outside the country. Foreign aid packages, international non-government organisations (INGO’s), and migrating labour sending money back to their families, are its main sources of income. The insurgency of the past 11 years has seen many people leaving or been forced to leave traditional agricultural work and seek safety in the cities and larger towns. The tourism and hotel industry, which started in the 1960’s, has expanded to be a year-round business but was severely restricted during the period of violence. The carpet and clothing industries continue to provide much needed employment.

The time in Nepal is 5¾ hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time(GMT). Outside of the Kathmandu valley, government offices still keep a six-day week (10am—5pm) but, in the capital city, the working week is only five days. However, Saturday is still the day on which Nepali Christians attend church – a throw back to the days when it was the only day in the week when people did not go to work.

Flag

Nepal’s flag is unique in that it is the only national flag in the world that is not rectangular in shape. It is made up of two triangles, both of which are red – the national colour of Nepal – with a dark blue border. The upper triangle contains a white crescent moon with eight rays, while the lower (larger) triangle has a white sun with twelve beams.

The use of the sun and moon, according to some, is a reminder of the legend that at the dawn of time, the sun god and the moon god ruled alternately over Nepal. A second possible interpretation of the use of these heavenly bodies is that in Hindu, and especially in Buddhist tradition, flags are considered as ‘prayer carriers’ and the flag may symbolise the formula used in many prayers – “May the nation live and prosper as long as the sun and moon are present in the firmament.”

Christianity in Nepal

Since the early part of the twentieth century, Nepalis had gone to live and work in India, and while living there a number embraced the Christian faith.

Prior to 1950 there were no known Christian believers in Nepal, though small groups of Nepali Christians, living in areas of North India close to the Nepali border, were meeting regularly for fellowship and waiting for the opportunity to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to the Hindu Kingdom of Nepal.

This opportunity eventually came in 1951, when Nepal’s borders were opened once more to the outside world, and a small number of Nepali Christians were able to return home and begin sharing the Gospel with their own people.  Despite much opposition and some persecution, the Church grew slowly but steadily as the years progressed.

It was at this time also that the first foreign Christians were able to enter Nepal.  The Nepal Evangelistic Band– now the International Nepal Fellowship (INF) – was set up in 1951, and three years later, in 1954, the United Mission to Nepal(UMN) was formed.

By 1975 there were an estimated 1,500 believers, mainly in the urban centres, where the Christian development agencies had large projects.  However, during the period from 1961 to 1990 several hundred Christians were arrested and put in prison, charged with personal conversion, attempting to convert and converting others to Christianity.  But by the early 1990’s these restrictions were relaxed and with relative freedom introduced, church organisations quickly appeared.

From 1996 to the present, the Maoist insurgency has brought fear and terror attacks right across Nepal.  Churches have been shut down and money extorted from pastors.  In spite of these activities the Church in Nepal continues to grow.  One pastor says, “The people are seeking peace, security and love, and are on their knees praying that the Maoist’s will also kneel down before the Lord and worship Him!”

The recent changes by the government (May 2006) making Nepal a secular state will mean new freedom and opportunity for the Nepali Church.  In fact, even in 2005, the King’s Government formally approached church leaders in Kathmandu via the National Churches Fellowship of Nepal (NCFN) – one of several Christian organisations claiming to represent the churches – with a request for data.  The carefully considered response estimated the number of believers at around 700,000.  The actual number of churches is even harder to estimate, and as with the number of believers, many think it is better left that way.

Political instability and violence has caused many young men to leave Nepal for anywhere they can go.  The biggest concentrations are in other Asian countries, particularly Malaysia, which has a relatively open policy towards migrant workers.  There are now some 150,000 Nepalis in Malaysia and, removed from the Hindu society, many have come to Christ.  It is estimated there are 45 Nepali fellowships meeting in Malaysia alone and many in other countries including some of the Gulf States.  Some of these believers are returning to Nepal and a recent interdenominational development is seeking to introduce returning believers to the Church in Nepal that can support and encourage them when they face the challenges of Nepal society.

The majority of the churches in Nepal do not have a visible association with any overseas denominations.

On Thursday 18th May 2006, Nepal’s House of Representatives took the historic and momentous decision that Nepal should become a secular state and no longer be a Hindu Kingdom.  This decision has great significance for Christians in Nepal; and the implications for the Church and Christian community that highlighted were:

• The Church would no longer be seen as an underground Church.
• The voice of the Church could now be openly presented to the State.
• The restrictions placed upon the Church and Para-Church organisations ought to be removed.
• Christians and the Church would at last have social and legal recognition.

The major changes in Nepal in recent years have seen the prayers of God’s people being answered in dramatic ways!  The Nepali Church rejoices at having greater freedom, and to being able to share the gospel openly with fellow Nepalis throughout the country. However, there's been concern in the past year as, in some parts of the country, pastors and church members have once more come under threat of violence and intimidation. A bomb in a church in Kathmandu in 2009, left several worshippers dead.

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