Nepal, July 2 -- Janakpur hasn't yet been able to resolve its identity crisis. It doesn't seem to be able to decide whether it wants to remain a site of pilgrimage, emerge as a tourist spot, develop as a regional service centre with educational and health facilities or just be content with its newest identity of being the capital of Madhesh Pradesh. The contradiction between the desire to remain a holy town for Vaishnavs and the dream of becoming a secularist capital of a province is most perplexing.

Karima Begum is a hard-boiled politician, but even she once complained bitterly that the moment house-owners heard her name, they refused to rent her a room. Perhaps because of his faith, Lalbabu Raut-the only provincial Chief Minister to ha...