By Rabi Raj Thapa
The peace of the world is being shattered by dunderheads. At every turn, economies are being wrecked and lives are being lost because of wars of choice and policy blunders. Strikingly often, these actions are ordered by rulers and regimes that are blind not only to common sense and decency but also to their own people’s long-term interests. (The Economist, May 9, 2026)
The wickedness of the world is nothing new. Its current capacity for foolishness, however, is shocking. After 80 years without a direct, all-out conflict between great powers, a dismaying number of leaders seem to be spoiling for a fight, national interests be damned.
Some catastrophes can be blamed on individual leaders. Today, there are a few prominent leaders who bear responsibility for many of the crises we are witnessing around the world.
In Nepal, old and ineffective leaders are gradually fading from the scene, while a new generation of younger leaders has emerged. The old leadership devastated Nepal’s economy, politics, culture, and civilization. Both Marxist ideology and the Holy Wine movement ultimately proved futile in protecting their regime, which was characterized by corruption, cartel politics, conspiracy, and suspicion.
The causes championed by Oli, Deuba, and Prachanda, to name only a few, failed largely because of their snobbery, arrogance, and ignorance of Nepal’s ground realities. Now the ball is in the court of the new Turks—Rabi, Balen, Swarnim, Shishir, and Sudhan, to name a few.
The pain and suffering of ordinary Nepalis, however, remain unchanged.
Sudhan Gurung has now become Home Minister for a second time. During his first tenure, he achieved what many considered impossible by arresting a seemingly untouchable three-time prime minister and former home minister. This must have created tremors among federalists who, after dethroning the monarchy, considered themselves beyond challenge and accountability. He brought them down to earth in a way that may permanently affect their political standing.
In his second tenure, he has surprised everyone. His announcement that he intends to investigate the Royal Massacre of 25 years ago came as a shock to many forward-looking Nepalis. What is the purpose behind this initiative?
When the time was ripe, many prominent leaders and investigators remained silent. Members of the investigation commission behaved more like performers than serious investigators, relying on rhetoric rather than facts. Everyone pointed to the Crown Prince, who later died while in a coma after being declared king, as a way of avoiding responsibility for investigative failures, shortcomings, and guilt. Now Sudhan Gurung wants to revive the issue once again.
Instead, he should focus on improving the condition of living institutions such as the police and other law-enforcement agencies. He should pay attention to the welfare of security personnel, establish a Police Reform Commission, and address the precarious working conditions of police officers. At the very least, he should examine how poorly past investigations were conducted and determine how Nepal’s investigative capacity can be brought up to international standards. Only then can failures such as the Sunita-Namita case, the Royal Massacre investigation, and, more recently, the Nirmala Panta case be avoided.
When Rabi Lamichhane became Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, he also pledged to identify the culprit in the Nirmala Panta case. Sudhan Gurung should ask his party chairman what happened to that promise and commitment.
Now, after 25 years, there is no crime scene to revisit and little forensic evidence to examine. There are reportedly no post-mortem reports or forensic documents available. Most of the competent police investigators and forensic experts who were my contemporaries have retired and are no longer active in the field.
The first challenge for Home Minister Sudhan Gurung will be finding investigators capable of establishing facts under such difficult circumstances. Here, the issue appears to be one of intent, raising concerns about possible bias and preconceived conclusions.
Historians can learn little from foolish individual rulers because their mistakes are often too numerous and too heavily influenced by personal beliefs and prejudices to offer useful lessons. Sudhan Gurung’s intention may not be self-defeating, but it may ultimately lead nowhere. If that happens, he could face the same fate as Rabi Lamichhane regarding his promise to uncover the truth in the Nirmala Panta case.
Single individuals can cause considerable damage, but truly world-changing catastrophes often result from the persistent repetition of errors by leaders who believe themselves immune to shame, accountability, and guilt. As a young and vibrant leader, Sudhan Gurung should be mindful of such follies and avoid repeating the mistakes of his predecessors.
The systemic failures that have ensnared successive Home Ministers of Nepal must be corrected. Only then can meaningful reform and public trust be restored.
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