Why the Sudan Gurung case is far from closed

There is a danger that Nepal will confuse, in amnesia, the resolution of one controversy with the resolution of all controversies.

Prime Minister Balen Shah has restored Sudan Gurung to one of the most powerful offices in the federation. This decision has left many pro-change Nepalis in sheer delight. Their enthusiasm is not difficult to understand, as Gurung, to supporters, represents things that have become increasingly attractive in contemporary politics—novelty and decisiveness. He appears energetic where others seem lethargic, direct where others appear evasive, and willing to act where others endlessly deliberate. To many citizens frustrated by elite inertia, bureaucratic paralysis and transactional politics, Gurung embodies the possibility of ‘change’—a word very dear to Nepal’s uncritical population conditioned by RSP’s “nothing happened in 36 years” narrative.