Scratch, spin, revolt, rule: Sudhan Gurung, the DJ who remixed Nepal’s politics | World Information
4 min learnApr 5, 2026 11:29 AM IST
THAMEL, THE vacationer hotspot in Kathmandu and go-to neighbourhood for international backpackers recognized for its low cost inns, music golf equipment and an lively nightlife in slim bylanes, is the place Sudhan Gurung, Nepal’s new House Minister, discovered to learn the room. In dimly lit consoles subsequent to dancing crowds, as a DJ spinning and scratching, he knew when to restrain himself and when to let it rip.
Gurung would handle occasions, sing and rap once in a while, releasing music often on his label Eagle Boy Information. What the 37-year-old Gurung maybe didn’t think about was that his talent to evaluate his viewers would come helpful in public life.
Gurung, who in September 2025 led the Gen Z protests by coordinating hundreds of scholars, prompting former PM KP Sharma Oli to resign, was sworn in because the House Minister of Nepal final week and is now a big member of the 15-member Cupboard led by former rapper-turned-politician Prime Minister Balen Shah (Balen).
Born and raised in Gorkha, 140 km west of Kathmandu, recognized for the famed Gorakhnath temple and the valiant warriors, Gurung was introduced up by his grandparents after his mother and father separated. His grandfather labored at a resort whereas his grandmother taken care of him.
He lived in a hostel and accomplished his A ranges earlier than stepping into music. He moved to Kathmandu, labored as a DJ at a bunch of golf equipment earlier than his stint at OMG, positioned within the coronary heart of Thamel. However simply when he was getting deeper into the world of bass drops and studying to work the crowds, a large earthquake ravaged the Himalayan nation.
Like many who volunteered to assist, Gurung determined to work with Bir Hospital, the oldest district basic hospital in Nepal.
He channelised support work via social media and led an enormous group of individuals to do reliefwork.About 200 volunteers got here in; throughout this, a toddler died in his arms. That was a turning level. “After the earthquake, DJing and B-boying didn’t attraction to me anymore,” stated Gurung in an interview, who quickly based Hami Nepal, an NGO and civic activist group, the identical 12 months, with the core mission of helping people throughout disaster and serving to ship support.
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It labored extensively in the course of the Nepal Floods and COVID-19. It additionally arrange a plasma and oxygen financial institution in the course of the pandemic. Gurung would put out transparency stories of the general public funding to his NGO on social media.
About 200 volunteers got here in, serving to carry rice to the villages and the injured to the hospitals. Hami Nepal was on the core of Gen Z protests and used Instagram and Discord to disseminate protest data, in addition to telling college students to return in class uniforms, carrying books, emblematic of defending their future from corruption. What started as a peaceable protest shortly escalated, resulting in casualties and
many getting injured, ultimately forcing Oli out.
Gurung’s NGO quickly took on a negotiator’s function, resulting in the finalisation of Sushila Karki as interim PM. Slightly later, he led protests in opposition to her as nicely, blaming her for increasing her cupboard with out session.
He joined the Rashtriya Swatantrata Social gathering in January and contested the Common elections from Gorkha 1 constituency, profitable by over 14,000 votes and defeating tourism entrepreneur and Nepali Congress chief Prem Kumar Khatri. His function as House Minister has been criticised by some and seen as controversial as Gurung will now oversee the probe that appears into the protests, ones he helped construct and escalate at one level. In accordance with a number of Nepali information shops, there have been disagreements from leaders inside his get together rejecting him for the place of House Minister however Balen insisted on Gurung dealing with the delicate workplace.
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After his oath-taking final week, Gurung has determined to not settle for his MP’s wage and donate it to these injured within the Gen Z motion
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