Encompassing Hindu Nationalism and the Network It Creates :

On the Idea of the World Hindu Federation and Various Reponses It Evokes in Nepal

Abstract

Nowadays in Nepal, one can observe the trend of growing Hindu nationalism as a reaction to the introduction of secular polity. In this paper, I shall focus on one specific Hindu nationalist organization, the World Hindu Federation. I have chosen this organization due to its relatively long history and its relationship with successive Nepalese Kings. It is for these reasons that the World Hindu Federation is supposed to be widely acknowledged by, and, have influence on, other Hindu nationalist organizations in Nepal. More specifically, in this paper, I shall scrutinize Dharma, a special publication developed as a memorial to the International Grand Hindu Conference held by the World Hindu Federation in 2016. I shall show that the idea the World Hindu Federation sets forth is a form of “encompassing Hindu nationalism”. I will then proceed to focus on various responses the idea evokes. It is often made to be a target of either indifference or acute criticism even from those whom the organization tries to encompass. Critics suggest that this idea is not worth seriously scrutinizing, because of the apparent instrumental abuse of religion behind it, such as the maintenance of vested interests of Hindus and the acquisition of personal profits of those associated with this organization. Yet, it is also true that, to a certain extent, the World Hindu Federation has been successful in gaining supporters encompassing those among non-Hindus and, thus, is constructing an interreligious network to jolt its（potential）opponents and spread its idea.