Nepal’s Gen-Z Uprising Pushes Balen Shah From Rapper To Mayor, Now A Strong Contender For Prime Minister

International News: Nepal's politics is on the verge of a major change these days. The protests that began with the social media ban have now taken the form of a mass movement, with Generation-Z at the forefront. Meanwhile, Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah, aka Balen, who was earlier known as a rapper and engineer, is now emerging as a potential Prime Minister. 19 people died and hundreds were injured in the week-long protests. Most of these youth participated in college and school uniforms.

In this environment, Mayor Balendra Shah expressed his support for the movement through a Facebook post. He wrote that the organizers did not allow people above 28 years of age to participate, so he himself could not be present there, but his spirit and support is completely with the youth.

'The voice of the youth must be heard'

In his message, Balen said that this movement is entirely of Generation-Z and he himself may seem like an 'elderly' to them. He warned political parties and leaders not to use this mass movement for their own interests. Balen clearly said that he wants to understand the thoughts and aspirations of the youth and stands with them.

Rising public expectations
There is a massive campaign going on about Balen on social media. One user wrote, 'Unlike Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, Nepal has a potential Prime Minister like Balen who will work for the country without any selfishness.' While someone else wrote, '19 lives have been lost, this price is very high. Now this movement needs a direction and that leader can only be Balen.' In this way, people's trust in him for leadership is increasing.

Who is Balendra Shah?

Born in 1990, Balendra Shah studied civil engineering from Nepal and later did his masters in structural engineering from Visvesvaraya Technical University in India. Along with his studies, he was active in Nepal's underground hip-hop world and wrote songs on issues like corruption and inequality. In 2022, he contested the Kathmandu mayor election as an independent candidate and won a landslide victory by over 61,000 votes. He lives with his wife Sabina Kafle and constantly communicates with the public on social media.