Balendra Shah

Balendra Shah (Nepali: बालेन्द्र शाह; born 27 April 1990), popularly known as Balen Shah or simply Balen, is a Nepalese rapper, structural engineer and politician. He is currently serving as the 15th mayor of Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal.

Shah has been a popular figure in Nepalese hip-hop since the early 2010s. Shah announced his candidacy as an independent and was elected at the 2022 local election, defeating Nepali Congress candidate Sirjana Singh and CPN (UML) candidate Keshav Sthapit. He is the first independent candidate to be elected as the mayor of Kathmandu municipality.

Time included him on their list of "Time100 Next" in 2023.

Shah was born on 27 April 1990 in Naradevi, Kathmandu. He is the youngest son of Ram Narayan Shah, an Ayurvedic practitioner, and his wife Dhruvadevi Shah. His parents moved to Kathmandu from Mahottari after his father was posted to Naradevi Ayurvedic Hospital. His paternal ancestral home is in Mahottari's Ekdara Rural Municipality, while his mother's family lives in Dhanusha.

Shah attended V.S. Niketan Higher Secondary School for his 10+2 studies. He received a bachelor's degree (BE) in civil engineering from Himalayan Whitehouse International College. He also received a master's degree (MTech) in structural engineering from Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) in Karnataka, India.

Shah was involved in the "We for Constitution" movement before the promulgation of the Constitution of Nepal in 2015. He had also expressed interest in running for Kathmandu's mayorship in the 2017 local elections but later backed down.

From an early age, Shah was interested in music and poetry. He released his first single, Sadak Balak, which he wrote while in the ninth grade, in 2012. He rose to prominence among Nephop fans in 2013 after his appearance on the YouTube battle rap series Raw Barz.

Mayor of Kathmandu (2022 - Present)

As one of the first moves upon taking office, Shah introduced live telecasts of municipal council meetings, marking the first time such a practice was implemented in the city. This initiative received positive feedback and was praised for its commitment to transparency. He also encouraged businesses to allow public access to their restrooms, leading to the emergence of public restroom signs in various private establishments throughout the city. He has also made pledges in public speeches to safeguard Newa heritage and architecture, along with revitalizing Newa Chhen type buildings in public infrastructure, though their widespread implementation remains limited.

During his tenure, Shah has advocated for the idea of nationalism and has been vocal in critiquing mainstream political parties and the federal government. He often expresses his views on social media and has been known to avoid engaging extensively with mainstream press after being elected.

Since assuming office on 30 May 2022, Shah has prioritized various initiatives, primarily solid waste management, parking infrastructure, slum clearance, hawker management, and beautification projects.

Solid waste management

The management of solid waste in Kathmandu faced challenges even before the mayoral election due to protests from residents living near the landfill, who expressed concerns about its impact on public health. Balen, the newly elected mayor, made promises to address this issue permanently during his campaign. After assuming office, he visited the dumping site, Sisdol, to listen to the grievances of the locals. Balen Shah made it clear that no election victory celebrations would take place until the waste problem was permanently resolved. He also encouraged the public to segregate degradable and non-degradable waste to facilitate better waste management.

On 6 June 2022, an agreement was reached between the Ministry of Urban Development and the newly elected representatives to commence garbage disposal from 7 June. However, when garbage trucks arrived at Sisdole, local residents protested, leading to clashes between the police and locals and resulting in the arrest of some residents. As a consequence, waste collection was disrupted for an additional two months. Ultimately, on 18 August 2022, following a four-point agreement between the locals and government officials, Balen directed private companies to handle the disposal of all uncollected solid waste.

Demolition of illegally-built structures

In accordance with Section 11 (2) of the Local Government Operation Act, 2074, Balen instructed Rajunath Pandey, the chief of municipal police, to initiate the demolition of unauthorized constructions that were encroaching upon public property. Prior to taking action, a 35-day notice was given to the occupants of these properties, urging them to adhere to the law. Subsequently, the mayor's office proceeded with the demolition of several structures located in affluent areas such as Hattisar and Durbar Marg, including malls, pubs, restaurants, pharmacies, and other private properties, within the first week after the notice period had expired.

Shah instructed to uncover the Tukucha River by demolishing the private properties built above the river, as part of city beautification and river conservation effort. The businesses affected by the campaign filed a writ petition in the court. Patan High Court subsequently issued the interim order barring the Kathmandu city government in the demolition drive.

Balen also made a request to the Nepal Police to ensure compliance with the law and order by removing all police sub-stations constructed on sidewalks without proper authorization from the municipality. He also clashed with Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, after the mayor's office removed the construction materials including wire fencing on the grounds of Tribhuvan International Airport, that were built without proper approval from the city.

Balen's office issued a 7-day public notice to vacate landless squatters on the river banks, which led to a conflict between the residents and the municipal police during the slum demolition attempt. The clash resulted in several injuries. Balen later expressed his concern about the Home Ministry's perceived lack of assistance during the incident. Prior to this, Balen had expressed dissatisfaction with the federal government when Kathmandu's garbage collection was interrupted for two months. Following the confrontation with the riverbank settlers, tensions between the federal government and the Kathmandu metropolitan office escalated, eventually leading Balen to instruct the cessation of garbage collection from Singha Durbar, the seat of the federal government.

Use of force towards street vendors

The Kathmandu Municipal Government, led by Shah, has faced criticism from organizations like Human Rights Watch due to allegations of employing unethical use of force against unorganized street vendors. His policies has also led to the emergence of small-scale protests by groups such as Chameli within Kathmandu, triggered by the circulation of videos showing Municipal Police chasing and confiscating vendors' properties for organizing business without proper permit. Critics of these measures argue that since nearly half of the country's economy relies on informal businesses, such actions adversely impact the standard of living of the urban poor without offering viable alternative solutions.

In September 2023, political activist Ishan Shakya, known as iih, stood for 199-hours outside Kathmandu City Hall, urging the mayor to allow street vendors to conduct business without interference until an alternative solution could be proposed. Support for the protest came from figures like Kathmandu-4 MP Gagan Thapa, former Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa, and former Finance Minister Surendra Pandey. Addressing to the protest, Mayor Shah stated on Facebook that he was enforcing existing laws established by lawmakers such as MP Thapa. He argued that restricting street vendors does not effectively address poverty and expressed concerns about the injustice faced by those whose property had been seized to construct sidewalks.The protest concluded with an agreement between the Kathmandu Metro Office and iih, aiming to develop an alternative plan for street vendors, temporary permits for specific areas and times, and the return of confiscated goods to their owners.

Contempt of court

Shah sparked controversy when he imposed a ban on screening Indian movies within the city limits, demanding the removal of the dialogue "Sita is the daughter of India" from the movie Adipurush. In response to his decision, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court, leading to the issuance of an interim order by the Patan High Court against Shah's ban. In defiance of the court's order, Shah took to Facebook, stating his refusal to comply, arguing that the court's decision was contrary to the country's interests, and further accusing both the federal government and the courts of being under the influence of India. Following Shah's statement on Facebook, a writ petition was subsequently filed in the Supreme Court, accusing him of contempt of court.

Rap lyrics

Shah has been criticized over the profane and misogynistic elements of his rap lyrics. In early July 2022, he attracted controversy over the use of a sacred crown in Nephopko Shreepech, a hip-hop reality TV show in which he served as a judge.

Shah is married to Sabina Kafle, a public health professional. He lives with his family in Gairigaun, Tinkune.

2022 Kathmandu mayoral election

Balen Shah had been mulling over his plans for candidacy since 2020 and on 17 December 2021 announced that he would be running for the mayoral race as an independent candidate through his Facebook Page. His campaign focused on waste management, road traffic control, public service delivery, anti-corruption, and preservation of cultural heritage of the city.

Shah was elected on 26 May 2022, winning 38.6% of the votes cast. He defeated Nepali Congress candidate Sirjana Shrestha and former mayor and CPN (UML) candidate Keshav Sthapit by a margin of over 23,000 votes.

Shah was sworn in as mayor on 30 May 2022 and administered the oath of office to other members of the municipal assembly elected at the elections.