4 min readApr 5, 2026 11:29 AM IST
THAMEL, THE tourist hotspot in Kathmandu and go-to neighbourhood for foreign backpackers known for its cheap hotels, music clubs and an active nightlife in narrow bylanes, is where Sudhan Gurung, Nepal’s new Home Minister, learned to read the room. In dimly lit consoles next to dancing crowds, as a DJ spinning and scratching, he knew when to restrain himself and when to let it rip.
Gurung would manage events, sing and rap on occasion, releasing music regularly on his label Eagle Boy Records. What the 37-year-old Gurung perhaps didn’t factor in was that his skill to assess his audience would come handy in public life.
Gurung, who in September 2025 led the Gen Z protests by coordinating thousands of students, prompting former PM KP Sharma Oli to resign, was sworn in as the Home Minister of Nepal last week and is now a significant member of the 15-member Cabinet led by former rapper-turned-politician Prime Minister Balen Shah (Balen).
Born and raised in Gorkha, 140 km west of Kathmandu, known for the famed Gorakhnath temple and the valiant warriors, Gurung was brought up by his grandparents after his parents separated. His grandfather worked at a hotel while his grandmother looked after him.
He lived in a hostel and completed his A levels before getting into music. He moved to Kathmandu, worked as a DJ at a bunch of clubs before his stint at OMG, located in the heart of Thamel. But just when he was getting deeper into the world of bass drops and learning to work the crowds, a massive earthquake ravaged the Himalayan nation.
Like many who volunteered to help, Gurung decided to work with Bir Hospital, the oldest district general hospital in Nepal.
He channelised aid work through social media and led a huge group of people to do reliefwork.About 200 volunteers came in; during this, a child died in his arms. That was a turning point. “After the earthquake, DJing and B-boying didn’t appeal to me anymore,” said Gurung in an interview, who soon founded Hami Nepal, an NGO and civic activist group, the same year, with the core mission of assisting individuals during crisis and helping deliver aid.
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It worked extensively during the Nepal Floods and COVID-19. It also set up a plasma and oxygen bank during the pandemic. Gurung would put out transparency reports of the public funding to his NGO on social media.
About 200 volunteers came in, helping carry rice to the villages and the injured to the hospitals. Hami Nepal was at the core of Gen Z protests and used Instagram and Discord to disseminate protest information, besides telling students to come in school uniforms, carrying books, emblematic of defending their future from corruption. What began as a peaceful protest quickly escalated, leading to casualties and
many getting injured, eventually forcing Oli out.
Gurung’s NGO soon took on a negotiator’s role, leading to the finalisation of Sushila Karki as interim PM. A little later, he led protests against her as well, blaming her for expanding her cabinet without consultation.
He joined the Rashtriya Swatantrata Party in January and contested the General elections from Gorkha 1 constituency, winning by over 14,000 votes and defeating tourism entrepreneur and Nepali Congress leader Prem Kumar Khatri. His role as Home Minister has been criticised by some and seen as controversial as Gurung will now oversee the probe that looks into the protests, ones he helped build and escalate at one point. According to multiple Nepali news outlets, there were disagreements from leaders within his party rejecting him for the position of Home Minister but Balen insisted on Gurung handling the sensitive office.
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After his oath-taking last week, Gurung has decided not to accept his MP’s salary and donate it to those injured in the Gen Z movement
