This post was originally published on South China Morning Post.
India’s Hindu nationalists see Nepal’s political chaos as chance to boost royalist calls, target secular state
In his sprawling house at the Himalaya Mahalaxmi Tea Garden in the eastern Nepal town of Damak, 73-year-old Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, the last king of Nepal, spends most of his time reading newspapers and books. But while he is sequestered away from public life, the 239-year-old Hindu monarchy he once represented is again a focus of public protests.About 400km away, in Nepal‘s capital of Kathmandu, hordes have been rallying for the restoration of the monarchy, which was overthrown by…