KEEP GURKHA REGIMENTS INTACT

Kathmandu, 6 Sept.: Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen’s Organisation (GAESO) is seriously concerned about the news that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is considering to dismantle the Headquarters Brigade of Gurkhas (HQBG) leading to the termination of the Gurkha recruitment in the British Army, a statement said.
“GAESO believes that this is not something the MOD and HQBG can decide alone and arbitrarily without consulting properly the government of Nepal as well as the Gurkha community.
“We can understand in principle that this is largely a matter of the UK and Nepali governments to decide. But the alleged report of the Gurkhas being costly for Britain to recruit is simply flawed and baseless.
“ We are aware of the negative attitude of the MOD and the HQBG that our gradual winning of the equal right, particularly as regards the right to resettlement after retirement in the UK is being taken as an excuse for the discontinuation of the Gurkha recruitment, would be just a regrettable and shameful.
“It would also be an act of disrespect to the British people who are fully in favour of equal treatment in the Army as well as in their civilian life after retirement.
“GAESO’s position on this issue is that the MOD should go ahead with the dismantling of the most costliest and controversial HQBG when it comes to the equal treatment for the Gurkhas either in service or after retirement.
“We firmly believe that the full integration of the Gurkhas in the regular British Army automatically makes the Gurkha recruitment better, cheaper and free from all kinds of discriminatory treatment we have been facing even today.
“Further, if the MOD is really to discontinue the Gurkha recruitment then we demand that the UK government must pay all compensation and reparation of all the losses that the Nepali nation, the people of Nepal and the whole Nepali ethnic and indigenous communities represented in the British-Gurkha army for the loss of their history, culture, tradition and family life together with their motherland over the past 200 years. In addition, full ex-gratia pension and compensation should also be paid as equal to their British counterparts now before considering any such change.
“If it happens then we will also launch a massive campaign for full financial compensation of the 200 years for all the direct and indirect losses our motherland Nepal, the people and the Gurkha community have had suffered, including equal pension and compensation.
“Therefore, GAESO demands that the HQBG is dismantled and the Gurkha regiments are continued with new institutional reform and restructuring. Further, the MOD or any politicians in favour of the dismantling of the Gurkha recruitment must sit now with all the Gurkha organisations for proper consultation if they are really serious about it,” a statement issued by GAESO said.
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