Two of the many questions I had when contemplating returning to Nepal: "Will Nepal have me?" and "Am I even for Nepal?"
Having lived in as many countries outside as I had, I felt I could be accepted by any place and people. But will I be accepted in Nepal and by the Nepalis?
Dassain, a Hindu festival, is recognized and celebrated by many in Nepal as the biggest and most important national festival. As per the historian Bhagiraj Ingnam the festival has a dark history -- a history of past regimes wielding it as a tool to subjugate and control the indigenous population. As such, to many the festival is actually a symbol of oppression and suppression.
One of the many legacies of the long casteist history of the country is the major structural issues Nepal continues to face. Evidences abound! But I keep coming across hill so-called High caste Hindus who can't see or refuse to see the evidences for what they are.
This is about one such man, a professor at a medical college no less!
Religion does not have a monopoly over morality or ethics. In other words, you don't have to be religious or even be associated with a religion to be a moral or ethical person.
Many societies exist in the world which are considerably less religious than Nepal but, as far as I am concerned, are considerably more moral and ethical.