When a mass movement resulted in the radical transformation of Nepal from a Hindu monarchy to a secular republic in 2006, no one was shocked. In the early days of the revolution, Hindu nationalist groups did not dare to question or subvert the transformation. But politics doesn’t always move in straight lines. Nine years on, it has taken a different turn: as the political class struggles to draft a consensus-based constitution, a sudden upsurge in the saffron wave has sounded an alarm bell. Last week, public hearings on the preliminary draft of the constitution were disrupted by groups clamouring for Hindu rashtra, among them the Rashtriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal, the country’s fourth-largest party; the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, Nepal’s own brand of the RSS; and the Sanatan Dharma front. Even the hearings that went without incident saw public opinion tilted in favour of Hinduism. These groups may not be strong enough to disrupt the constitution-writing, but the rising tide has put politicians on the back foot.