From philanthropist to policymaker: The rise of Sudan Gurung
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| Image: ChatGPT/Read 2B Happy |
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| By LB Thapa |
This is no magic. This is the story of a boy who, while struggling on the streets of Kathmandu, witnessed the filthy games of the system from close quarters.
A boy who saw the system up close
On July 18, 1987, Sudan was born into a very ordinary family in Chum Nubri, a remote village in Gorkha. But his childhood was unstable. He did not get to grow up with his parents. Instead, he was raised by his grandparents. He studied at Bal Sansar School in Dhankota while staying with relatives, then drifted through the heat of Chitwan. His life kept shifting between grandparents, relatives, and hostels. Struggling along the way, he finally arrived in the crowded streets of Kathmandu. Life in the capital was not as glamorous as he had imagined.
The earthquake that broke him
On April 25, 2015, an 8.0 magnitude earthquake devastated the country. Nearly 9,000 people died. The ground shook as if it would split open. Everyone ran to save themselves. But Sudan ran to pull people out from collapsed houses. He placed a wounded man on his scooter, sped through dust-filled roads, and rushed him straight to Bir Hospital.
Amidst the chaos and crying at the hospital, a mother stood weeping, holding her small child. Without a second’s hesitation, Sudan took the child in his arms and ran toward the emergency ward. He had almost reached the door. But before he could hand the baby to a doctor, the little one took its last breath in Sudan’s arms.
The death of that innocent child broke him deeply from within. His mind went blank. That night, after helping the injured and doctors with food and water all day, he stopped for a moment. He took out his phone and posted on social media: "We need volunteers."
The next morning, some 200 young people stood before him. Sudan himself stayed at Bir Hospital for three months, sleeping there, doing everything he could to help the public and doctors.
The birth of Hami Nepal
Amazingly, within a few days, the number grew to 1,600. That team reached from the hospital to remote villages. They distributed relief to those in need. But while working on the ground, Sudan saw a terrifying reality: the government’s extreme lethargy and the deep-rooted, limitless corruption in every sector.
After that, they began to fight openly against the system. During this time, Sudan got inspired by the charismatic life of Dr. Sanduk Ruit. That inspiration later led him to successfully found Hami Nepal—a new youth army of hope to lift a nation in crisis.
Covid: No cash, only transparency
In 2020, the fear of Covid was spreading worldwide. People were locked inside their homes. In that terrifying crisis, more than 1,600 young people joined this youth-led platform. They made a rule: no cash. They never donated cash — only relief supplies. Because Sudan knew well: where money plays, the system corrupts. Their team maintained complete transparency. Even today, every single penny is properly accounted for, and the data is publicly available.
During peak Covid, when patients struggled to breathe in hospitals with no one to care for them, Sudan and his team delivered 520 oxygen cylinders, along with beds, to Bir Hospital and the National Trauma Center.
The story does not stop there. From rescuing people during the 2021 floods to organizing blood donation drives, they continuously stepped forward. And when a terrible earthquake struck Turkey, Hami Nepal sent relief materials worth nearly 15 million rupees. This was not just aid — it was a return favor for the support Nepal had received in 2015. Because of this ground-level work, they received the 360 Impact Award and a great honor from the Barbara Foundation.
The magma inside & Gen Z uprising
From the outside, everything looked perfect, but inside, a terrifying reality was eating at Sudan’s mind. No matter how much help his team put on the ground, the system above remained just as rotten. The same old faces, the same corruption, the same government delays. The anger inside Sudan was slowly getting out of control — like magma boiling inside a volcano about to erupt.
On September 8, for the first time in Nepal’s political history, Gen Z took to the streets. This was not a flag-waving movement of any political party. Sudan and his Hami Nepal team coordinated the entire movement mainly through Instagram and Discord. Thousands of students marched peacefully.
At first, Hami Nepal’s volunteers went to the ground carrying water and juice. They thought it would be a peaceful protest. But as days passed, the atmosphere suddenly turned violent. Terrible clashes broke out between security forces and students. The same hands that had been distributing water now began providing emergency treatment to the bloodied and wounded. That peaceful demand for transparency turned into blood before their eyes. Dozens of innocent youths lost their lives. Fire burned on the streets.
Ultimately, the then Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli was forced to resign. Sudan had become the face of the Gen Z revolution. On one side, his team fought on the streets to save the wounded; on the other, Sudan was directly negotiating with the President and the Army Chief.
The tears that shook a nation
On September 1, the nation’s attention was on a live press conference. Hundreds of cameras were filming Sudan, but as he spoke, his voice broke. He broke down crying in front of millions. The weight of those martyred brothers, wounded youths, and shattered dreams pressed so heavily on his chest that he could not hold back his tears. But this crying was not weakness.
Outside, the streets were still burning. Sudan did not stop. Without eating or sleeping, he went straight to the President’s office, Shital Niwas. He stayed there all night, arranging high-level meetings. And that night, something historic happened — something rarely seen in world politics. A large online poll was conducted on the Discord server called "Youth Against Corruption," created on Sudan’s initiative. More than 7,500 Nepali youths voted to decide who should lead next. As the clear majority of that vote, the respected former Chief Justice, Sushila Karki, came forward.
On September 12, a turning point in Nepal’s political history was witnessed. As Sushila Karki took the oath as Nepal’s first female interim Prime Minister, standing right beside her was Sudan Gurung. This was not just a swearing-in ceremony. It was a power move by the youth who had shed blood on the streets to hand over the country’s reins to a new generation.
The eruption at reporters club
Everything seemed calm, but the system that gives up so easily eventually fired back. On September 14, a press meeting was underway at the Reporters Club. The atmosphere was calm, but suddenly some angry youths climbed onto the stage. Accusing Sudan of not doing enough even after dozens died, they confronted him. And there, in the middle of the crowd, Sudan erupted. His voice carried such raw anger that it silenced the entire hall. He grabbed the microphone and said:
"I will extract every single rupee from every corrupt person’s home. I will drag them out and show them in public. The whole country will see how Nepal changes. I will spare no one."
From the outside, this might sound like ego or arrogance, but it wasn’t. It was the cry of a man who had felt an innocent child die in his own hands. And he had seen his own brothers’ blood spilled on the streets while coordinating thousands of volunteers.
The masterstroke
Sudan had once taken a vow: "I will always stay away from this filthy, traditional politics." But no matter how much he shouted from outside, no matter how much blood was shed, it made no difference to this deaf system. Then he played a masterstroke that churned the entire politics of the country.
Before entering the field himself, he knew one thing well: until Balen Shah and Ravi Lamichhane are brought together, the old leaders’ syndicate will never break. A crucial, secret meeting was going on between these two leaders. Sudan Gurung stood like a stone outside the gate. He sat guard at the door and said: "Until you two unite, I will not move an inch from here."
That was not just stubbornness. It was the final hope of an entire generation that had been frustrated and desperate for years.
Entering the arena
Finally, in January 2026, when street fighting alone proved insufficient, Sudan took a big risk. He formally joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and contested the election from Gorkha-1. Many political pundits thought shouting on the streets was easy, but bringing votes would be difficult. But when the results came, everyone was stunned. He secured 29,896 votes — the fortress of the vote bank that old, big parties had held for years came crashing down.
The home minister takes charge
Many people say that once leaders get power, they change. But even before taking the oath as a minister, Sudan did something that caught everyone’s attention: he directly attacked corporate loot.
Then came that historic day: March 26–27. Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s cabinet. And into it entered the country’s new Home Minister: Sudan Gurung.
Visualize this for a moment: the man who yesterday raised his voice against corruption from the streets, today enters Singha Durbar as the supreme commander of the entire police force, the intelligence department, and the borders. As soon as he sat in the chair, his actions began. To discipline the corrupt bureaucracy, he ordered centralized administration. He gave strict instructions to immediately arrest those who had incited violence from within during the protests. The rebel who shouted on the streets yesterday had become a strict and focused ruler controlling the system.
Not just a story — A New Nepal
This is not just the story of Sudan Gurung. This is the story of our new Nepal. The thrilling journey of a man who started from a remote village, endured unimaginable pain, and reached the heart of the country. That anger, that outrage he poured out on the streets yesterday was not ego or arrogance. It was an immense love for the country and its people. It was the breaking of patience after the old system’s delays and lethargy failed to act — even when he risked his life, sleep, and future.
No warning---Direct action
On Friday, he took the oath as Home Minister at the President’s Office, Shital Niwas. Outside, the same gossip filled every corner: "Once in power, everyone becomes the same. His language will change now." People saying so was normal, because Nepal’s politics had taught them only that.
But not even 24 hours had passed since he entered the ministry. Early Saturday morning, a breaking news flash on major media outlets shook the foundations of the entire power equation.
Former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli and former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak were arrested. This was no rumor. Those powerful faces — once considered above the law and holding the real reins of state power — were suddenly in police custody. No big speeches. No prior warning. Direct action.
Before people could even digest this shock, another news broke the next day: former Energy Minister Deepak Khadka was also arrested. Then, many finally remembered that sentence he had spoken, crying into the microphone at the Reporters Club: "Trust me so much — I will not leave anyone. I will come for each one of them."
This was no political stunt. The assets of those who build palaces overnight by sitting in politics and government positions are now being formally investigated. What he saw on the streets, he is now directly attacking from the chair.
A ray of hope
Can this sudden step truly topple Nepal’s old, deep-rooted system? Anyway, the Nepali people have every reason to hold a small ray of hope. They are now convinced to see a new Nepal, a prosperous Nepal.
However, one question remains: Will this government not
come under any pressure and continue delivering its best, or will all their
enthusiasm die down in the course of time?
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