Maoist Nepal to end Gurkha tradition
By Dhruba Adhikary

KATHMANDU - People who want to quickly write an epitaph of the Gurkha legacy contend that it's a scar on the country's sovereign and independent status.

To them, the tradition that began in 1815 is an example of a great anomaly, and must be put to an end in the "new", post-monarchy Nepal.

Their views are reflected in a report adopted - unanimously - recently by an all-party parliamentary committee that is dominated by Maoist legislators.

This has attracted considerable media attention, with many newspaper articles and radio/television talk shows concluding that

Nepal should cease to be seen as a country that exports "mercenaries".

"Gurkha recruitment gave the youth a small opportunity for employment ... but has not always allowed the country to hold its head high," said the committee report. It also referred to the "losses" Nepal endures when these young men are encouraged to become citizens of other countries.

The allusion primarily is to Britain, which maintains a brigade of Gurkhas, and India, which has a far bigger contingent of Gorkhas - as called in that country - in its national army.

Coincidentally, the parliamentary report became public at a time when the chief of the British Defense Staff, General David Richards, was on a visit to Nepal. His official itinerary included a trip to the tourist town of Pokhara, where he participated, on January 4, in the "attestation parade" that marked the formal induction of 176 male recruits into the British army.

"This allegiance ceremony, incidentally, is conducted with full acknowledgment of the fact that those who have decided to join the British army are citizens of Nepal," said Colonel Andrew Mills, defense attache at the British Embassy, in an interview with Asia Times Online. He concurrently holds the post of the head of the British Gurkhas Nepal.

Currently, the strength of Gurkhas in the British army is about 3,800. However, Britain announced on Wednesday that it would axe 400 of these jobs as part of defense cuts.

This number is to diminish further in coming years in view of the reductions proposed for the United Kingdom's army. India, whose yearly recruitment ranges between 2,500 and 3,000 men, presently maintains 39 battalions in seven Gorkha regiments numbering more than 30,000 men - in their prime of youth. (Neither the UK nor India has yet begun recruiting women at soldier's level.)

(PLEASE FOLLOW LINK BELOW TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON ATIMES.COM)

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/NA20Df01.html

• nepali 7 days ago
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  I am agree with nepal moist govt decision.please abo chhitto bhnada chhito bharti banda garnu parchha nepal sarkarle,kina bhane brigurkhali harule hal samma 200 barsa british rajay ko lagi ladera sansar lai tharkayo tara akhira ke payo,gurkhali harule,rittohat matrai// duniyalai human right ko path sikaune tara batti muni ko adhyro afnai bir gurkhali haruko apaman garera First Word War/Second Word War barama Malaya War Fakland War Gulf War Kososvo Iraq War Afghanistan WAr pachhi bina chhati purti bato kharchha matrai diera Neapl patahyo.Hal samma pani katti ex-gurkha bodo haruko rank army no matrai chha tara pesion welfare pension bat medical bat samet banchhit hunu pareko chha.tara kunnai welfare gurkha,ofiicer haruko afno,father uncle daju bhai nata parne ho bhane welfare bat samet sajiloi tarika bat khoji khoji pension milai dinchha tara jasko nata ra afno jat ko hiona bhane anek thariko jhajhat jhmela diera paunelai pani napaune gareko dherrai praman haru chhan yo kasto achhamma bitish le khoji khoji dinu bheko lai pani badmas wefare officer harule tyo bodo hruko paune pensio affai kumlaudaichhan,jaha pani high rank officer haru harulai matrailampat .UK govt le pani bir gukhaliko apaman garera UK ILE Morne belama diera 18 barsako muni ra mathiko kurale jhanai eutai pariwar lai katti thulo bikhandit banayo khoi kaha chha UK ko human right GURKHALI KO LAGI,SANSARMA KUNNAI PANI AMMA BABULE TYO DESH KO BASNA PAUNE ADHIKAR pauchha bhane afno pariwar sanghai basne adhikar human right le dieko adhikar ma chha,umer ko kunnai chhek thun hundaina,if eutai pariwar ho bhane praman pugema.feri bir gurkhali haru bhaneko british ko national soidier tyo desko lagi jyan dine soldier ho na kunnai muslte jasto bhagera uk pasera adhikar khojeko jasto hoina,asma sabai gurkhas haruko lagi ladne santha haruko tauke harule pura dhyan dinu parchha kina gurkhas haruma etti dherrai attyachar bhayo,, tu dhyan jayos ani esko lagi kada kadam challnu parchha,tara afu afu jhagada garera matrai samshya pura hundaina,//tesaile abo esto atychar ma bachhnu bhanda baburam sarkarle garnu khujeko gurkha barti to banda hununai ramro ho.kina bahne bhartiko nam ma dallal harule bhartiko namma bharti kendra khulera kholera hajjarown lakhown nepali yubako future ko sunder sapana bigarera,karood karood ruppaea lut machai raheko chhan.iniharulai nepal mayobadi sarkar ra british sarkarle tu karbahi garera luteko money back garaunu parchha.ra mayobadi sarkarle gurkha bharti tu banda garnu anurodh gardachhu,jay jay nepali janta jay nepal..
  
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• NEPALI 10 days ago
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  ITS BETTER IDIEA THAT MOIST govrnment will stop nepaliese young boys join to INDIAN GURKHA ARMY OR BRITISH GURKHA ARMY.yes this is good news for all nepali young peoples ever.bqz nepal is not poor country ,but only their mind and thiknking power is to poor.why should you go to kill some one and your self without your country ,your long life future from your family after you killed by enemy.look what happened afetr retired all below cpl british gurkhas army when their RETIRED from the british crown since 1815.Many gurkha still no pension no welfare.only ARMY rank and number but always good for only gurkhas high rank officer and their familiese whatever their child ages,when thye were this country example UK BRUNEI HONGKONG,untill now, but not for below rank of cpl and their familese.so moist govt must stop now. this urgent message to mayobadi govt,
  
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• matarres 27 days ago
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  also i read...gurkhali battalion will always maintain their regiment, that is even if the maoist are successful in eradicating the recruitment in Nepal. The article says, they can do this by recruiting sons and daughters of Gurkhali families currently residing in UK and India..Is that a joke.. I am a son of a Gurkha..instead of following my own dreams of further educating myself and getting proper well paid jobs..i would want to join the army, i say thank you but it is well beyond us now. We gurkhali youths are more educated and would like to extend our knowledge more than just 1RGR, GTR, Falklands and so forth.. But, no matter what I am still proud to be a son of a Gurkha..
  
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• Tej Rai 28 days ago
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  This issue has been raised on several occasions in the past, too. Go ahead and do it, comrades, if you can. It seems that you envy your fellow countrymen making a good living by joining these forces.
  
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• Tilak 29 days ago
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  Do they have a PLAN B?
  
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• renult 29 days ago
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  k hamilai aba Maobadiley jagir dinchha re? yo maobadi ta khattam mai niskiyo Baburam jato ta prime minister chha abhasi kaha ramro hunchha.
  
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• Bishwaraj 30 days ago
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  KE BHANNU - NEPALESE BRO / SIS NAI KATI KHUSI CHHAN YO NEWS LE- MUKHAMA RAM RAM - BAGALIMA CHHURA-
  
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