For centuries Buddhism and the religion from whence it sprang, Hinduism, lived in peaceful co-existence. As a matter of fact, many in Nepal would claim adherence to both faiths. However, in the 1990s the despotic king of Bhutan expelled over 100,000 of its citizens due to both their ethnicity and religion.
The refugees were all of Nepali ancestry (but legal citizens) and practicing Hindus. But the king decided that ethnic and religious conformity were important for the welfare of the country. So for over 20 years these survivors of a form of cultural genocide lived in cramped camps in Nepal before being resettled in various countries. Naturally, the USA is one of them.
Today they now live in fear that even though most Bhutanese-Nepalis are now U.S. citizens this current administration might set their sites on them for deportation to a country that does not want them. In this episode Fred discusses this tragic drama with Narad Adhikara of the Global Bhutanese Hindu Organization.
