Sudan Gurung

Last updated
Sudan Gurung
Born1989 (age 3637)
Citizenship Nepali
OccupationsSocial Activists and Genz Leader
Known forHis role in the 2025 Nepalese Gen Z protests
Political party Rastriya Swatantra Party
MovementHami Nepal
ChildrenUnmarried

Sudan Gurung is the founder [1] and coordinator of the non-governmental organisation Hami Nepal. [2] He emerged as one of the leaders of the Gen Z movement in the aftermath of the 2025 Nepalese Gen Z protests. [3] He participated in extensive negotiations with the President and the Chief of Army Staff (Ashok Raj Sigdel), which led to finalisation of former Chief Justice Sushila Karki as interim prime minister and dissolution of parliament, paving the way for early elections. [4] He has expressed his intention of running in the 2026 Nepalese general election in a political group, [5] [6] warning that the elections would be obstructed if the needs of Generation Z were not met. [7]

Contents

On the night of 14 September 2025, Gurung led protests against interim prime minister Karki demanding her resignation, alleging that she was expanding her cabinet without consultation. [8] [9] [10] [11]

Biography

Early life

Before getting into philanthropy and political activism, he worked as an event manager and was a DJ. [12]

Initial activism

A career change resulted following the death of his own son, in the April 2015 Nepal earthquake. [13] His first immediate action was to work with Bir hospital in Kathmandu, leading a group of volunteers (at the time consisting of 1,000 people) who he had coordinated with the use of social media as to manage the flow of aid to rural areas. On top of coordinating the flow of aid, the group led by Gurung was critical of the government, blaming its corruption as a cause for the undermining of aid efforts. [14]

In 2020, he created Hami Nepal, which at the time had over 1,600 member, acting as an alternative emergency response team to the COVID-19 pandemic. The foundation helped pregnant women and injured individuals during the 2021 Nepal floods and also was one of the foundations to send aid during the aftermath of the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes. [15] [16] For its effort, the NGO would receive various awards, including the "360 Impact Award", and "Barbara Foundation Covid-19 Barista Samman Award" in 2022. [16]

Political career

His first instance of leadership in a wider context of protest was in early 2025, when he had become the head of a protest held at B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, where he demanded more transparency in the institution. [17]

During and in the aftermath of the 2025 Nepalese Gen-Z protests, he assumed a role of a key player and leader of the movement. [3] He also participated in negotiations with Ashok Raj Sigdel, which led to finalisation of former Chief Justice Sushila Karki as interim prime minister and dissolution of parliament, paving the way for early elections. [4]

He has expressed his intention of running in the 2026 Nepalese general election in a political group rather then an independent candidate, justifying such decision as a strategy. [5] [6] He also warned that the elections would be obstructed if the needs of Generation Z were not met. [7]

On the night of 14 September 2025, Gurung led protests against interim prime minister Karki demanding her resignation, alleging that she was expanding her cabinet without consultation. [8] [9] [10] [11] On 24 November 2025 he led a group of Gen-Zers, alsongside Miraj Dhungana, to protest after failing to meet the Nepali Prime Minister and not being able to submit a complaint regarding the assignment of relatives to political posts within the government. [18] He protested such demands even after that, on 26 November 2025. [19]

On 18 January 2026 he joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party, running on their behalf in Gorkha 1 constituency. [20] [21]

Ideology

Gurung emphasized that his ideological beliefs include a will for systemic reform, anti-corruption measures, and empowerment of the new generation. [22]

References

  1. Ahmed, Aftab; Mukherjee, Hritam; Mukherjee, Hritam (2025-09-15). "Exclusive: Young activists who toppled Nepal's government now picking new leaders". Reuters. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
  2. "Attempted attack on Hami Nepal coordinator Sudan Gurung - OnlineKhabar English News". 2025-09-17. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
  3. 1 2 "Gen Z activist Sudan Gurung claims attempted attack against him". MyRepublica. 2024-08-08. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
  4. 1 2 Awale, Sonia (2025-09-12). "Madam Prime Minister of Nepal". Nepali Times. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
  5. 1 2 "Nepal protest leader says he will run in upcoming elections". Al Jazeera. 2025-09-27. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
  6. 1 2 Najjar, Farah (27 September 2025). "Nepal protest leader says he will run in upcoming elections". Reuters . Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  7. 1 2 "Sudan Gurung warns elections will be obstructed if Gen-Z demands ignored". Republica . 6 November 2025. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  8. 1 2 "Sudan Gurung's group protest in front of PM's residence at midnight demanding PM Karki's resignation". Setopati. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
  9. 1 2 "Sudan Gurung calls for unity among youth leaders, announces nationwide campaign". myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com. 2024-08-08. Retrieved 2025-11-17.
  10. 1 2 Anand Nepal (2025-11-19). Sudan Gurung Warns Gen-Z Andolan 2nd Phase, Om Prakash Aryal Mahesh Basnet, KP Oli, Sushila Karki . Retrieved 2025-11-22 via YouTube.
  11. 1 2 "Gen Z youth, Bara security committee reach six-point verbal deal". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 2025-11-22.
  12. Gandhi, Swati (9 September 2025). "Who is Sudan Gurung, the man behind massive Gen Z protest in Nepal?". Business Standard . Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  13. "Who is Sudan Gurung, the face of Nepal's powerful Gen-Z protests?". Firstpost . 2025-09-09. Archived from the original on 2025-09-15. Retrieved 2025-11-18.
  14. "Anger as corruption, red tape holds up Nepal earthquake aid delivery". ABC News. 2015-05-19. Retrieved 2025-11-18.
  15. "Who or what is Hami Nepal?".
  16. 1 2 "Sudan Gurung: Drawing strength from teamwork|The Annapurna Express". The Annapurna Express. Archived from the original on 2023-07-11. Retrieved 2025-11-18.
  17. "Nepal protests: How did Sudan Gurung organise the Gen Z protests in Kathmandu?". The Week . 9 September 2025. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  18. "Gen-Z group protests outside PM's office after failing to meet Prime Minister Karki". Khabarub. 24 November 2025.
  19. Lamsal, Sandesh (26 November 2025). "KP Oli 2.0: Nepal's Gen Z demands resignation of Interim PM Sushila Karki after police clash and nepotism scandal". OnlineKhabar English.
  20. National, Pushpa Tamang (2026-01-18). "Sudan Gurung Joins Rastriya Swatantra Party". Khoj Samachar. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  21. "Sudan Gurung files candidacy for HoR polls from Gorkha–1". Nepal News. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  22. Landrin, Sophie (14 November 2025). "Leaders of international Gen Z movement reflect on their countries' political futures" . Le Monde . Retrieved 18 November 2025.