Nepal, Aug. 3 -- In the wake of social unrest in the Tarai-Madhesh region, triggered by a communal clash in Devanganj, Sunsari on July 26, Nepal finds itself grappling with a recurring vulnerability to communal friction along religious lines. While authorities have routinely leaned on coercive force to quell violence, critics argue that such reactive measures fail to address the deeper, systemic undercurrents fueling the crisis.

The Post's Biken K Dawadi sat down with political scientist and commentator Bhaskar Gautam to dissect the complex historical and socio-political roots of these tensions. Gautam offers a critical perspective on how decades of secular popular mobilisation have historically contrasted with a Hinduised state structur...