Nepal: Balendra Shah, also known as Balen, is one of the front-runners for Nepal's next prime minister due to widespread support among the country's youth.
Balen Shah was born on April 27, 1990, in Naradevi, Kathmandu, to a family of Maithili origin. The 35-year-old rapper is the youngest son of Ram Narayan Shah, an Ayurvedic practitioner, and Dhruvadevi Shah. His parents relocated to Kathmandu from the Mahottari District of Madhesh Province after his father was assigned to Naradevi Ayurvedic Hospital.
Educational Qualifications
As per the media reports, Shah did his 10+2 studies at V.S. Niketan Higher Secondary. He earned a civil engineering degree from Himalayan Whitehouse International College in Kathmandu and a postgraduate degree in structural engineering from Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Karnataka, India.
His academic training in civil and structural engineering played a key role in shaping his understanding of urban planning, infrastructure, and city development, which later influenced many of the administrative decisions he took as the Mayor of Kathmandu.
According to numerous media reports, Balen is new to politics but not a novice, having had the chance to closely observe student politics while studying engineering.
According to Dr. Shreyas, a professor at Nitte Institute of Technology, Balen was admitted under the PIOquota for international students and successfully finished his M.Tech between 2016 and 2018.
Rapping Career
Balen first gained recognition in 2013. He took part in and won Raw Barz, a well-known rap competition in Nepal. His lyrics were harsh and direct, criticizing political inertia, corruption, and the transfer of power among the same individuals. One organizer described him as "more than a rapper, he was a poet. He discussed people who were suppressed." His music was heard outside of the subterranean.
He has written several songs since then. Among his most well-known is Balidan (sacrifice), which has received more than 14 million YouTube views. It discusses corruption, with one verse stating, “Let me speak, Government, it is not a crime. I fear not to speak the truth. Will the law really come for me, just for raising my voice?”
