| Biswo |
Posted
on 29-Jan-01 10:27 PM
This article was, in fact, a letter to editor in Monday's TKP.
The website is given below, and I liked this very much.
Never trust a British
The timeless issue of the Gurkhas’ plight has become a matter of concern among many
Nepalese citizens. And when it comes to fair treatment for Gurkhas the British have the worst record. Gurkhas who serve in the Singapore police force get a far better opportunity, pay and pension benefits from the Singapore government as a gesture of gratitude for the Gurkha role in defending the island during World War II. Nepalese who serve in the Indian army are not discriminated against as badly as British Gurkhas in terms of pay and pension benefits. But those Nepali youths who serve in the British army have the most demanding role since they have to mix, adapt and work along side western and European counterparts in armed forces that are highly sophisticated with hightech weaponry and require a high standard of military training. And yet no matter how competent they are, Gurkhas in the British army suffer gross discrimination and are looked down upon as expendable.
To refer to Lt Col L B Pun’s letter titled "Don’t advocate dogma" in TKP, dated 15 Dec, 2000, Pun has praised the British government and said it has never forced the Nepalese to join its army. He should open his eyes wide open and see the other side of the coin too. It was during the first and second world wars that British leaders cajoled and bribed the then Rana rulers of Nepal to enforce mass recruitment of Nepali youths from every nook and corner of the country for fighting Britain’s war. It is estimated that some fifty to sixty thousand Gurkhas perished on the battlefield during the second world war alone. Our country had no part in the conflict . And no sooner was the war was over than thousands and thousands of battle weary Gurkhas were forcibly sent back home with amputated limbs to spend the rest of their lives as severely crippled men. The war veterans were so poorly compensated, we witnessed then suffering poverty, hardship and misery and we saw so many former soldiers die in poverty. This is why we say the hands of the British are stained with Gurkha blood.
To prove my point about the forced recruitment I would like to invite L B Pun, British Ambassador Ronald Nash and Lt Col Mark Dowdle to visit GAESO’s office to see the evidence of how the then Rana rulers issued written orders to enforce mass recruitment of Nepali citizens in the British army.
Janak Bahadur Gurung
Lalitpur-14
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