Swaraat / Swaraat Editor Desk
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is a development assistance organization that provides civilian foreign aid outside the USA. USAID’s initiatives focus on health, the economy, democracy, governance, and humanitarian assistance. The agency collaborates with international organizations, governments, nonprofit organizations, and local communities.
It was established in 1961 by then-U.S. President John F. Kennedy.Recently, USAID has been at the center of a political storm in the United States, particularly after Donald Trump assumed the presidency. One of the immediate actions taken by Elon Musk after becoming head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was to investigate USAID’s expenditures.
This investigation has revealed some shocking details regarding how American taxpayer money has been spent.Among these controversial expenditures is the allocation of $446,000 to promote atheism in Nepal. Once the world’s only officially Hindu country, Nepal remains a Hindu-majority nation and has long been a focus for missionary activities.
A BBC report published in 2023 revealed that, following the 2015 earthquake, Nepal’s Christian population increased by a staggering 68%, with South Korea playing a significant role in this growth.Despite Nepal having anti-conversion laws, no one has been prosecuted for these large-scale conversions.
It is worth noting that missionaries allegedly exploited the aftermath of the 2015 earthquake, using financial incentives to convert people. Regarding USAID, Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chair Rajendra Lingden raised concerns over U.S. funding being used to promote atheism in Nepal. This issue was first brought to light by Republican Congressman Brian Mast during the U.S. envoy’s visit to Nepal in March 2024.
However, U.S. envoy to Nepal Dean R. Thompson vehemently denied these allegations, stating that the U.S. government had no such policy and that U.S. assistance was solely aimed at uplifting marginalized communities.This development is a matter of grave concern for neighboring countries like India and Sri Lanka, which could also become targets for atheism promotion.
While individuals should have the freedom to choose their religious beliefs or lack thereof, such decisions should not be influenced by powerful organizations spending millions to “promote atheism,” as this is effectively equivalent to promoting any other religion.