Growing Extremism and Nepal’s Urgent Security Reckoning

Historically renowned for its religious tolerance and social stability, Nepal, tucked in the lap of the Himalayas, finds itself more and more at the crossroads of a war it neither started nor welcomed.

Every Nepali should be shaken by the recent death of Sudip Neupane, a Nepali pilgrim shot dead in Kashmir.  It is not just an isolated crime in a faraway place; it is a reflection of a growing menace getting closer to Nepal’s own borders.

Behind this developing reality lies a far deeper current: the growing reach of transnational Islamist extremism, which still use radical networks as instruments of geopolitical influence.  Although Nepal has always stayed distant from the turmoil of South Asia’s fierce rivalries, that privilege is fast vanishing.

Nepal’s Evolving Threat Landscape

The Neupane instance fits a disturbing trend of Nepali people being targeted overseas—many of whom are Hindu laborers or pilgrims. Several Nepali migrant workers were murdered brutally in Iraq in 2015.

Amid Middle East violent conflict in 2023, Bipin Joshi was kidnapped.  These are not arbitrary tragedies.  They are part of a deliberate ecology of extremism that views some religious identities as targets; Nepalis are more and more in the line of fire.

What is concerning is how little public attention these events get in Nepal’s political and media circles.  Many people view such occurrences as “foreign tragedies” instead of obvious indicators that Nepal has to review its strategic vulnerabilities and security stance.  We are possible victims, not insulated observers any more.

Dangerous Regional Realignment

Well known is Pakistan’s history of supporting and sheltering radical organizations.  From the Afghan jihad of the 1980s to the Mumbai bombings of 2008, the fingerprints of its intelligence services and military institutions are clear.

Its backing still today—whether for Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, or Hamas ideological friends.  These are not only dangers to India; they are also dangers to regional stability and, more and more, to smaller countries like Nepal.

The threat is in ideological infiltration as much as physical assaults.  A slight change is taking place in Kathmandu and other urban areas.  Markets increasingly include imported radical material, pro-extremist slogans sometimes appear on social media, and foreign-funded religious groups run with little control.  This is about politicized religion weaponized, not about religion.

Nepal’s multicultural society is being challenged.  Should foreign-backed groups misuse our liberties to create strife, Nepal will suffer internal disintegration in addition to security concerns.

The Digital Battlefield: Nepal’s Blind Spot

Guns and explosives don’t always bring 21st century extremism.  Across social media channels, encrypted chat applications, and virtual sermons, it spreads in whispers.  With little cyber-security system and a mostly unregulated digital world, Nepal has grown more susceptible.

Radical groups understand that unregulated internet areas are the quickest route to find sympathizers or fresh recruits.  Extremist recruiters have found rich ground for manipulation in a nation where tens of thousands of young people travel abroad each year with little preparation and even less protection, usually exploiting economic need and identity crisis.

Our school systems, cybercrime units, and law enforcement are sadly unprepared to handle this changing danger.  Fighting it will need for a cultural and strategic change in our perspective on national security as much as police action.

Nepal’s Strategic Imperative: What Has To Be Done

Nepal now has to do what it has long avoided—take an objective look at its internal resilience and its outward stance.  These five essential actions include: National Security Review: Nepal requires a high-level, multi-agency examination of its security weaknesses connected to extremism, including border monitoring, cyber threats, and the influence of foreign involvement. To guarantee they are not fronts for ideological propaganda, religious, cultural, and social groups receiving foreign funds should be under clear registration, auditing, and ongoing examination. Given the millions of Nepalis living abroad, Nepal has to negotiate more security guarantees with host nations, particularly in the Gulf and war-torn areas. Put money on internet counter-radicalization tools and surveillance.

Work with tech companies to eliminate hate material and create local reaction teams to handle radical grooming. Promote interfaith and civic dialogue since extremism thrives on divide.

National efforts encouraging tolerance, civic participation, and common national identity can strengthen Nepal’s unusual mix of religious cultures.

A Demand for Courage and Clarity

Now is not the time for denial or hazy peace clichés.  Nepal has to be realistic about the powers attempting to influence its internal dynamics.  Radical political ideas using religion to undermine civilizations poses the threat, not any religion or group.

It’s a regional problem, and Nepal has to act clearly, bravely, and cooperatively with like-minded allies that respect peace, pluralism, and sovereignty.

One pilgrim’s death in Kashmir might not soon headline news.  But for Nepal, it has to be a wake-up call—a sad warning that the frontlines of war are no longer far away.  They are present.  And unless we act now, they will draw closer.

(Rabikanta Upadhyaya, provincial executive secretary, Lumbini Province, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh)