Balaram Gharti Magar

Birth: 1937

Death: 2025

Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) senior leader and former minister Balaram Bal Bahadur Gharti Magar passed away on 11 July 2025, while undergoing treatment at B&B Hospital, Lalitpur. He was 88 years old.

Born in Mizing, Rolpa, Gharti Magar was one of Nepal’s foremost political figures—a minister 11 times, serving the nation with distinction across both the Panchayat and multi-party eras. He is remembered as a man of simplicity, integrity, and vision, who rose from the remote hills of Rolpa to the highest echelons of national leadership. He has seven daughters. 

He began his political journey in 1961 as a ward member in the newly formed village Panchayat system. By 1962, at just 24 years old, he became a National Panchayat Member, marking the beginning of a public career spanning over three decades. His roles included key portfolios such as Defense, Health, Home, Land Reforms, Industry, and Science and Technology—in both Panchayat governments and democratically elected cabinets, including those of Tulsi Giri, Surya Bahadur Thapa, and Sher Bahadur Deuba.

A loyal advocate for clean politics, Gharti Magar earned the reputation of being a principled and incorruptible leader. His tenure was marked by people-centered development, and his deep affection for his home district was evident in his relentless efforts to develop Rolpa’s infrastructure, education, health, and transportation systems. He was instrumental in initiating road connectivity and air services, significantly transforming the region.

Originally active in Nepali Congress, he later joined the Panchayat system and was a key figure in the ‘Gaun Farka National Campaign’. After the political transition of 1989, he became a senior leader in the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, continuing to contribute to national politics with unwavering dedication.

The RPP, in an official statement by Spokesperson and Chief Whip Gyanendra Bahadur Shahi, mourned his loss, calling him “a guardian, a true public servant, and an inspiring personality” who lived a simple life with high ideals. His death is not just a loss to Nepali politics, but to the entire nation.

Mohan Shrestha, Central Committee Member of the RPP, expressed his heartfelt condolences on the passing of Ghartimagar. He said, “Ghartimagar-ji was a remarkable person—full of wisdom—even though he had limited formal education. His knowledge and character made him truly great.”

Shrestha added that Ghartimagar was a strong believer in unity within the party. “He always urged us not to abandon the main branch of the RPP, especially during times when the party faced divisions. He not only preached unity but lived by it, joining the party from the very beginning and remaining a loyal member until his last days,” Shrestha recalled.

Gharti Magar was more than a politician—he was a visionary, a mentor, and a humble son of the soil, who always remained deeply connected to the joys and struggles of his people. He regularly returned to his village, providing help, guidance, and inspiration to generations.