Prime Minister Balen Shah avoided a group of local women who had gathered outside a hotel in Jomsom to welcome him on Saturday, entering the hotel through a back door instead.
Members of the Puthang Women’s Group had gathered outside the Oms Home Jomsom carrying khadas, a traditional form of welcome in Mustang. After failing to meet the prime minister, they waited outside for some time before returning disappointed.
Shah was staying at the hotel during his private trip to Mustang. He later visited the Muktinath temple at around 8pm, travelling by an alternative route and reaching the temple premises by vehicle. He offered prayers at the main temple and returned to the hotel without meeting anyone.
The prime minister’s visit has drawn attention not only over his decision to avoid public interaction but also over the security arrangements made for the trip.
Shah travelled to Mustang by road and drove the vehicle himself. His private visit was coordinated primarily with the Nepal Army, while district administrations in Kaski, Baglung, Myagdi and Mustang said they had not been informed or involved in the visit in the usual manner.
The prime minister spent two nights in Pokhara and one night in Jomsom before returning to Kathmandu by air on Monday morning.
He stayed at Annapurna Eco Village in Machhapuchhre Rural Municipality on Friday and at Oms Home in Jomsom on Saturday. On Sunday, he stayed at Majheri Manzil Resort, owned by Tourism Minister Khadak Raj Paudel, before flying back to Kathmandu on a Buddha Air flight.
Shah had also stayed at the same resort during his visits to Pokhara while serving as mayor of Kathmandu.
District officials say there was little coordination
The prime minister’s security during the private trip was handled entirely by the Nepal Army, according to the information provided by district officials.
Baglung Chief District Officer Krishna Prasad Acharya said he was not particularly concerned about the visit because it had been described as a private trip.
Shah entered the Nepal Army’s 23 Brigade headquarters in Baglung, where he had a meal before leaving. Journalist Khemraj Gautam photographed him entering the barracks.
Mustang Chief District Officer Ajita Sharma said necessary security arrangements had been made but that, because the visit was private, there had been little emphasis on coordination.
Kaski Chief District Officer Kuman Singh Gurung likewise said the administration had not taken a greater interest because the visit was understood to be private.
Under the usual procedure for visits by very important persons, district security committees coordinate security arrangements. The procedure covers official, informal and private visits, but this time police and local administration were not involved in the same way because the trip was treated as private.
Normally, all four security agencies coordinate to establish separate security rings around the prime minister.
The Nepal Army’s specially trained team forms the innermost security ring, while Nepal Police personnel, including uniformed and plainclothes commandos and officers, operate in the next ring.
The Armed Police Force is responsible for outer security, crowd control, securing event venues and escorting the prime minister’s vehicle convoy. The National Investigation Department gathers and analyses intelligence about possible security threats in and around locations the prime minister is scheduled to visit.
Normally, an emergency meeting of the district security committee chaired by the chief district officer is held before the prime minister arrives in a district to assess potential security threats. Officials said this was not done in the same manner during Shah’s private trip.
A private trip that drew public attention
While some have praised Shah for travelling without a large entourage and avoiding excessive use of state resources, others have questioned whether the lack of coordination with local authorities was appropriate for a sitting prime minister.
Questions have also been raised on social media over whether a prime minister’s visit can be treated entirely as a private matter.
Locals had sought opportunities to meet Shah during his trip. In Mustang, residents waiting to welcome him were unable to meet him.
A similar situation occurred in Kaski, where local journalist Suresh Sunar said he was asked to delete a video he had recorded after learning that Shah was staying at Majheri Manzil.
“Since the prime minister had arrived, we were taking photos and videos. Someone came and asked us not to record the private visit and to delete it,” Sunar said. “When they asked me to coordinate and remove the video, I deleted it.”
Photos and videos were also reportedly not allowed at Oms Hotel and Annapurna Eco Village.
Shah’s decision to avoid public interaction during the trip has also prompted questions about the balance between maintaining his privacy and fulfilling the public responsibilities of a prime minister.
The photographs were provided by Sundarkumar Thakali from Mustang and Khemraj Gautam from Baglung.
