“Mother, I have returned आमा म त फर्केर आएँ
I have risen from the ashes खरानीबाट उठेर आएँ
How can I bear to see your heart burning कसरी देख्न सक्छु तिम्रो मुटु बलेको
Brothers fighting each other with swords भाइ भाइबिच तरबार चलेको
History burned, trust collapsed…” इतिहास जलेको विश्वास ढलेको …
Kathmandu, 13 April: This song, written by Nepal Police Inspector General Dan Bahadur Karki, composed by Deepak Sharma, and sung by Thaneshwar Gautam, Shanti Shree Pariyar, Sameer Kharel, Sahima Shrestha, and Sadikshya Kattel, is currently going viral on social media.
The song reflects the country’s gradual recovery after the damage caused during the Gen Z protests on Bhadra 23 and 24. It also resonates with the business journey of Min Bahadur Gurung, the owner of Bhat-Bhateni Supermarket. The stores that were damaged during the protests are now being rebuilt from the ashes and brought back into operation. Gurung says he, too, is slowly rising again.
“I did not let my faith burn or collapse. That’s why I am moving forward with a plan to gradually continue the business,” he said. “What shouldn’t have happened has already happened. Even if there were some weaknesses, let them be buried in the ashes. From now on, let everything be better.” He also expressed a spiritual belief that human life comes only once and one must do something meaningful in that life.
Now 66 years old, Gurung left his job at Nepal Bank Limited and started Bhat-Bhateni in 1993 (2050 BS). Beginning as a small grocery shop in Kathmandu, his business network quickly expanded across the country. However, during the protests on Bhadra 24, 12 of his branches were completely destroyed, and 16 others were looted.
Bhat-Bhateni has reported losses exceeding NPR 16 billion. Although insurance companies have provided compensation of NPR 2.03 billion, Gurung shows no sign of distress as he continues rebuilding through his own efforts. He says he does not even know the total cost of reconstruction yet.
“I don’t know how much has been spent. I only know that expenses are ongoing. Goods are also being imported from abroad. The total cost across all sectors is yet to be calculated,” he said.
Out of the 12 destroyed branches, four have already resumed operations. These include locations in Bharatpur (Chitwan), Koteshwor, Maharajgunj, and the Baluwatar warehouse. Preparations are underway to reopen the remaining eight branches.
He also emphasized the need to modernize businesses over time. “There was a time when Nokia dominated the market. It failed to update itself, while Samsung adapted with time and now dominates. Understanding this, we are updating Bhat-Bhateni accordingly,” he said.
While rebuilding, Gurung stressed that the government must prioritize the security of business establishments. “Security is the number one priority. The state must provide it. It must boost investors’ confidence,” he said.
He further added, “The greatest charity is forgiveness. I forgive those who set fire to my Bhat-Bhateni stores.”
With the intention that past distortions and wrongdoings should be burned away, reconstructed buildings now display a photo of Gurung bowing to the remains of the burnt structure, alongside the message:
“Oh God! May such incidents never happen again in my country Nepal.”
