Current Affairs
Nepali social media users have given mixed reactions to Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah's reported plan to erect late rapper Yama Buddha's statue. First Shah indicated his office would do it, but later he changed his version, saying he would do it "with his own salary", according to reports.
Yama Buddha, whose real name is Anil Adhikari, was a popular Nepali rapper who had penned, sung and performed in several Nepali hiphop songs before committing suicide by hanging himself at his residence in London in 2017. At the time, he was nearly 30.
Despite his popularity back home in Nepal, he had moved to the British capital a few years before as a student and worked for a postal service there to make his living. His January 14, 2017, suicide shocked his fans scattered around the world.
Now Mayor Shah's Yama Buddha statue plan continues to trigger reactions. The news broke after the mayor, also a rapper, reportedly announced on Friday, July 8, that Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) would soon erect the statue of Yama Buddha.
The reports - that went viral on social media - also claimed that the KMC had even allocated Rs 1.5 million for the purpose. But the location where the statue would be erected had not been specified.
After a popular social media account called ‘Routine of Nepal banda’ announced it as a “Breaking” news, social media users started taking to social media platforms to post their reactions. While some supported the move, others criticised it.
After the news started drawing more criticisms than praises from netizens, @RONBupdates posted another news on twitter, saying the mayor would “erect the statue from my salary” – and not the budget of KMC. Below the one liner, it also posted a photo of Mayor Shah sitting between Yama Buddha’s parents at their Kathmandu residence.
Balen Shah meets with Yama Buddha Parents. He also says, "म मेरो तलब बाट यम बुद्धको सालिक बनाउँछु!" pic.twitter.com/IASGj4vG1B
— Routine of Nepal banda (@RONBupdates) July 9, 2022
One of RONB’s Facebook posts on the statue plan drew over 7.4K comments and 4.4K shares.
Many netizens applauded Mayor Balen’s plan. Commenting below the RONB’s Facebook post, Tekjung Malla wrote, "Only legend can tribute legend in such a manner. Respect."
Poshan Subedi commented: "Love you balen dai. Proud moment for Nephop!!"
But not everyone liked the plan. Namrata Bogati commented below the Facebook post: "As an artist that may be the tribute to yamabuddha but as a respected mayor, representative of ktm, there are many other important things to do other than statue."
Another commentor Dev Parajuli wrote he wanted a hospital in the name of Yama Buddha instead of a statue. He wrote: "Respect mayor Balen sir build a hospital (in the name) of yamma buddha for poor people not a staute. Yama buddha is also watching you."
Major Focus of this Year's Kathmandu Metro Budget is on Education, Health, Improved Transportation , Waste Management, River Cleansing, Heritage Protection, Skill Training & Innovation Centre and Disaster Risk Management etc.
— Balen Shah (@ShahBalen) July 9, 2022
The rapper-turned-politician’s move attracted mixed - rather interesting – reactions.
Interestingly, Mayor Balen’s announcement came a week after CPN-Maoist Centre and its Chairman Prachanda unveiled a statue of Prachanda's son, late Prakash Dahal in Kakani on July 1. Dahal had passed away in November 2017.
The statue was erected by local members of CPN-Maoist Centre, but news of its July 1 unveiling drew a lot of criticim against the move, and against Nepali politicians' popular "tendency to erect statuteus, gates and View Towers".
It is still unclear when and where Yama Buddha’s statue would be built and erected, but the news has generated a lot of curiosity, with some social media users going to the extent of creating and posting memes.
Interns be like म मेरो तलब बाट आफ्नो खाजा खर्च सम्म तिर्न सक्छु। ? #balen #yamabuddha #MedTwitter
— Dipak Raj pant7 (@iamdrp7) July 9, 2022
