In the modest village of Ekdara, celebration has taken on many forms: laddus shared hand to hand, colours smeared across smiling faces, and preparations for a night lit with diyas and firecrackers. The news that Balen Shah is set to become prime minister has transformed the quiet settlement into a scene of collective pride.
For 65-year-old Manti Devi Paswan, the moment is deeply personal. She recalls cradling Balen as a child when she worked at his ancestral home. “This is more happiness than I ever imagined,” she says, her voice filled with emotion. Like many others, she never believed the boy she once cared for would one day lead the nation.
Memories of a grounded childhood
Though Balen grew up largely outside the village due to his father’s career, his ties to Ekdara remained alive through periodic visits. Locals remember him as a bright, curious child who mingled freely with others.
Jayasundar Thakur, who runs a small shop near the ancestral home, describes the moment as “dreamlike.” For him and others, Balen’s rise represents not just personal success, but the possibility of transformation for communities like theirs, long distant from the corridors of power.
A legacy of humility and generosity
The Shah family’s ancestral home still stands in Ekdara, surrounded by farmland, fruit trees, and memories of a more communal past. Locals describe the family as generous landowners, allowing neighbours to farm their land with minimal obligations.
“Even the mangoes from their trees were for everyone,” recalls Ramvaran Paswan, pointing to the orchard. Such stories have shaped the village’s perception of Balen, not just as a political figure, but as a continuation of a legacy rooted in humility and shared prosperity.
From independent mayor to national leader
Balen first captured national attention as an independent candidate, winning the Kathmandu mayoral election with a reputation for integrity and action. His transition into parliamentary politics and subsequent electoral victory, defeating a seasoned national leader, cemented his rapid political ascent.
At just 36, he now stands poised to lead a near two-thirds majority government, a rare mandate that carries both immense hope and expectation.
Hope, pride, and expectation
Back in Ekdara, the celebrations are not merely about political victory; they are about recognition, belonging, and hope. For villagers like Marani Devi Mahara, who once worked in Balen’s household, his success feels collective. “We voted for him, and now he has become prime minister,” she says, beaming.
Yet beneath the joy lies a shared aspiration: that Balen’s leadership will uplift lives like theirs.
As night falls and lamps are lit across the village, Ekdara stands as a reminder that even the most unassuming places can shape extraordinary stories and that, sometimes, those stories come full circle.
