Violence in Nepal stabilizes

Group of Protestant churches said celebrations this year would not be very different from in recent years

Christians in Nepal are set for a more festive and trouble-free Christmas this year, hoping the peace will hold after 10 years of a Maoist insurgency.Bishop Anthony Sharma, apostolic vicar of Nepal, told UCA News expectations are high that this Christmas will be celebrated in a "better" environment, given the lull in fighting and violence, at least in Kathmandu. "People can now have Christmas fun until late in the night, without fear of violence or intimidation," he said. A semblance of normalcy has returned to the capital, with tourists returning, and shops and hotels decorated for Christmas, a time of celebration for majority Hindus and minority Christians alike. The bishop noted the government might declare a "section holiday" only for Christians in the country. It had made a commitment to designate Christmas a holiday after it declared this former Hindu kingdom secular in May 2006. Mass democracy protests in April that year forced King Gyanendra Shah to give up absolute power and restore parliament, which he had dissolved earlier.Nonetheless, Bishop Sharma clarified that caution remains necessary amid the still-precarious political situation in the country. Twice since October the government has postponed the election for a constituent assembly that would write a new constitution for Nepal. "We must pray that the peace holds," Bishop Sharma said.

Apart from the election issue, Nepal this year has witnessed rioting between Madhesis, the dark-skinned people of the southern flatlands, and Pahadis, the light-skinned hill people. Madhesis and a number of other ethnic groups are demanding more representation in parliament and restructuring of the country to ensure their rights. Media reports say communal unrest this year in southern Nepal has left more than 100 dead.Voicing concern over the crises plaguing Nepal, K.B. Rokaya, general secretary of the National Council of Churches of Nepal (NCCN), a grouping of Protestant churches, told UCA News Christmas celebrations this year would not be very different from in recent years. "We will certainly be celebrating this Christmas in a much better environment, but more needs to be done, and we Christians should utilize this occasion to mull over ways in which we can make a difference in the peace process," he added. On the Christmas holiday issue, Rokaya, who is also a member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), said he would do his best to pressure the government on the matter. In September, the government named Rokaya to the national rights body, the highest official appointment any Christian has received in Nepal.According to the Christian leader, Protestant groups along with some Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim groups in Nepalgunj, about 530 kilometers from Kathmandu, submitted a memorandum to the local NHRC office in mid-December demanding that Christmas be declared a national holiday. "I will see to it that other NHRC members and the government treat this memorandum seriously," Rokaya pledged. "And hopefully, next Christmas will be different with a public holiday in place," he added.

Meanwhile, Christians and Hindus alike are gearing up to make the most of the festive season.Sujata Rai, who heads the Nepal chapter of Couples for Christ (CFC), is excited about this Christmas. "We'll be launching a church clean-up drive soon and have requested all our members to lend a hand," she told UCA News.Assumption parish has planned a "parish family day" on Dec. 29 in Lubhu, on the southern outskirts of Kathmandu, where Congregation of Jesus sisters are based. Rai said CFC is coordinating the event. Saturday is the weekly holiday in Nepal. The Protestant community, which comprises the bulk of the estimated 1 million Christians in Nepal, has been organizing religious concerts and public meetings to spread the message of Christmas among people of other religions.Simon Gurung, a Protestant pastor and president of NCCN, told UCA News, "Every Friday and Saturday in December, we hold public meetings and spread the message of Christmas among our non-Christian brothers and sisters." Gurung said leaders of his community were visiting schools and asking the management to close on Christmas and postpone year-end exams scheduled for that day, so Christian students could stay home and celebrate the occasion.
Source: UCA News