Submit your Article

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba has hinted at a possible shift away from the principle of secularism adopted in Nepal’s 2015 Constitution.

Speaking at a party gathering, the former prime minister and former president of the Nepali Congress said that he is a person who follows Hinduism. This is perhaps the first time since the promulgation of the 2015 Constitution that Deuba has made such an explicitly pro-Hindu statement.

His remarks could signal a wavering commitment to Nepal’s secular framework, although he did not explicitly call for the removal of secularism from the Constitution.

“I am a Hindu. I am not against anyone. There are people in Nepal who follow Islam, and there are Kirat people as well. I am not against anyone,” he said. “I should be allowed to say that I am a Hindu. I should be allowed to believe in Hinduism. There should be no confusion about this.”

The document passed by national convention says: “Nepal’s centuries-old Sanatan religious traditions are an integral part of the country’s national identity. Recognizing Nepal’s longstanding tradition of religious tolerance and social harmony, as well as the constitutional freedom of every individual and religious community to practice their faith, we are committed to protecting and preserving the Hindu, Buddhist, Kirat and Prakrit traditions that have been practiced in Nepal since ancient times. With this responsibility in mind, we are committed to advancing Nepal with Sanatan Dharma as an important part of its national identity.”

Three people were killed in a landslide triggered by incessant rainfall at Risang in Bheri Municipality-2 of  Jajarkot.

Two others have gone missing in the disaster.

Earlier, among the four gone missing in the incident, bodies of Uma Singh Khatri (54) and Rati Khatri (83) of the same locality were retrieved, while Kedar Karki (52) of Saldhara of the  same municipality died in course of treatment at the Medical College, Kohalpur,  shared by the Armed Police Force Nepal's joint spokesperson Shailendra Thapa. 

Bhami Bahadur Karki of Chisapani and Harish BK of Gairigaun of the same locality have gone missing in the landslide.  

The injured in the incident have been identified as Ram Bahadur Shahi (62), Siddhi Bahadur Kami (45), Kamala Karki (58), Anita Karki (23), Unish Shahi (10), Suntali Chadara (45) and Bhadrakala Karki (61). 

Among them, the condition of Ram Bahadur and Bhadrakala is said to be serious. They have been referred to Nepalgunj and Surkhet for further treatment. 

A joint security team led by APF inspector Kamal Karki has already left for the incident site for a search operation. 

The team is specially trained for disaster management. Eight houses have been damaged by the landslide.

Around 5,000 people have been evacuated after a magnitude-7.7 earthquake smashed an area in eastern Indonesia, killing at least ​51, blocking roads and causing landslides, authorities said on Sunday, Reuters reported. 

Thirty-six people were seriously injured in the Saturday morning quake in East Nusa Tenggara province, while 77 had minor injuries, Deputy Health Minister Benjamin Paulus Octavianus told a televised meeting.

New Delhi, August 15, 2026: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that while armed Naxalism has been defeated, the “Naxal mindset” continues to pose a challenge to the country and called for collective efforts to identify and isolate such elements.

Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of India’s 80th Independence Day, the Prime Minister said that building a secure Bharat is the responsibility of every citizen. He stressed the need to ensure that the country’s young generation remains connected with the mainstream path of nation-building and the goal of creating a developed India.

“Armed Naxalites have been defeated, but the Naxal mindset remains,” Modi said, according to the Press Information Bureau. He said such forces were looking for opportunities to promote violence and anarchy and were employing different tactics to push society onto what he described as the wrong path.

The Prime Minister said Naxalism and Maoism had damaged the future of millions of young people. Recalling the prolonged conflict, he said Naxalism had held large parts of the country and a significant section of its population under the threat of violence for nearly four decades.

He also paid tribute to security personnel who lost their lives during the fight against Left-Wing Extremism, saying more than 3,500 police and security personnel had made the “supreme sacrifice” while protecting ordinary citizens.

Modi said the decline of Naxalite-Maoist violence had transformed several areas that were once affected by insurgency. According to him, regions where violence and bloodshed had once been prevalent were now witnessing development, greater trust and renewed efforts towards progress.

The Prime Minister called for vigilance against what he termed the continuing Naxal mindset and urged society to prevent young people from being drawn towards violence and extremism.

The Prime Minister also announced plans to strengthen India’s civil defence preparedness in response to the changing nature of warfare.

“Building a secure Bharat is the responsibility of all of us,” he said, stressing that security challenges could emerge both within the country and across its borders.

Modi said modern warfare was no longer confined to conventional battlefields or border areas and that the country needed to prepare its citizens accordingly.

He announced that the government would work towards building a “vibrant civil defence network” in the coming days. The network, he said, would equip citizens and civil defence personnel with modern systems and technologies and familiarise them with contemporary methods of emergency preparedness.

The announcement comes as the government seeks to expand public awareness and preparedness for emerging security challenges, with the Prime Minister emphasising that national security requires participation and preparedness beyond the armed forces alone.