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Why Nepal PM Balen Shah won’t remove his trademark sunglasses in Parliament there’s a medical reason behind them…
Subtitle: Nepal Prime Minister Balendra ‘Balen’ Shah has received permission to wear his signature dark sunglasses inside Parliament after his office submitted medical documents explaining his discomfort in bright light.
Nepal Prime Minister Balendra “Balen” Shah is preparing for an important appearance in Parliament, but one familiar part of his public image will remain firmly in place his trademark dark sunglasses.
The Federal Parliament Secretariat has permitted Shah to wear sunglasses inside the House after his office submitted a medical report recommending their use due to discomfort when exposed to bright light.
The exemption is noteworthy because it comes shortly after Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal instructed lawmakers not to wear dark glasses during parliamentary proceedings unless there was a legitimate medical reason.
For the 36-year-old rapper-turned-politician, however, the issue is about more than style. His office has now provided medical documentation supporting his need for the glasses.
What is the medical reason?
Shah recently underwent an eye examination at Birendra Military Hospital in Kathmandu after reporting difficulty and discomfort while looking at bright light.
According to reports, ophthalmologist Associate Professor Lieutenant Colonel Dr Sachit Dhakal advised the Prime Minister to wear sunglasses whenever necessary. He was also reportedly prescribed eye drops for use when required.
Following the examination, Shah’s office forwarded the doctor’s recommendation and medical report to the Federal Parliament Secretariat.
Parliament Secretariat spokesperson Ekaram Giri said the documents established a medical basis for Shah’s use of sunglasses, referring specifically to his “discomfort seeing in bright light.”
Deputy spokesperson Ananta Prasad Koirala also confirmed that the Secretariat had received a report pointing to medical reasons for the Prime Minister to wear sunglasses.
In other words, Shah’s famous shades now have an official medical exemption inside Parliament.
Why did sunglasses become an issue in Nepal’s Parliament?
The debate began earlier this month after Speaker Aryal raised concerns about lawmakers wearing dark sunglasses inside the parliamentary chamber.
Party whips were instructed to ensure members avoided wearing them during proceedings after the practice attracted criticism and questions over parliamentary decorum.
The rule, however, included an important exception: sunglasses could be permitted when medically necessary.
Shah’s medical documentation means he falls under that exemption.
What might otherwise have become an awkward clash between the Prime Minister’s personal style and parliamentary rules has therefore been resolved through medical grounds.
Timing makes the controversy more interesting
The decision comes ahead of an important parliamentary appearance for Shah.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to face lawmakers on August 26 in a direct question-and-answer session, his first such appearance under the rules of Nepal’s House of Representatives since becoming Prime Minister.
A total of 11 lawmakers have reportedly registered questions for him.
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His appearance also comes amid scrutiny over his attendance in Parliament. Lawmakers had previously raised concerns about his absence from House proceedings, prompting the Speaker to direct the Prime Minister to appear before Parliament.
That means attention will be focused on considerably more than his sunglasses when he enters the chamber.
How sunglasses became part of Balen Shah’s identity
Long before the medical report entered the conversation, dark rectangular sunglasses were already one of the most recognisable elements of Balen Shah’s public persona.
During his rise from rapper and structural engineer to Kathmandu mayor and eventually Prime Minister, Shah was frequently photographed wearing black sunglasses, often paired with an all-black outfit.
The look complemented the political identity he cultivated as an outsider challenging Nepal’s established political order.
For many supporters, the glasses became so closely associated with him that the style earned the nickname “Balen dai ko chashma” essentially, “Brother Balen’s glasses”.
Reports have even suggested that shops in Kathmandu experienced increased demand for similar rectangular black frames, with some sellers marketing the style as “Balen sunglasses.”
Few political accessories become recognisable enough to influence street fashion, but Shah’s shades have become part of his personal brand.
From fashion statement to parliamentary exemption
That history makes the latest development unusual.
An accessory once viewed primarily as part of Shah’s distinctive style has now become the subject of an official parliamentary exemption backed by medical documentation.
The controversy also illustrates the balancing act between parliamentary decorum and legitimate health requirements.
The Speaker’s broader instruction against dark sunglasses remains in place, but Shah will be allowed to continue wearing his because his case meets the medical exception.
All eyes on Balen Shah’s Parliament appearance
When Balen Shah faces lawmakers, his sunglasses may attract cameras, but his answers are likely to matter considerably more.
With 11 lawmakers preparing questions and criticism already surrounding his parliamentary attendance, the session represents an important political test for the Prime Minister.
For now, though, one question has already been answered.
Shah will not have to abandon the dark glasses that followed him from Nepal’s rap scene to Kathmandu City Hall and eventually to the country’s highest political office.
This time, they are not simply a fashion statement they come with a doctor’s recommendation.
