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विश्वको राजधानी शहर न्युयोर्कबाट नेपाली खबरहरु
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Chandra Bahadur Gurung Ph.D. in London
Honouring Gurkhas: How It Is Started
The political victory of 1990 brought in particular two changes to Nepal: first the active l
eadership
of the king in politics came to an end, and second, newspapers and media
houses began to ensure freedom of the press. Taking advantage of the
political change in Nepal, after my release from the jail, and with the
help of Lance Corporal Padam Bahadur Gurung, I established the Gurkha
Army Ex-Soldier’s Organisation popularly known GAESO to raise a voice
for the welfare of the Gurkhas and to investigate British injustices
against the Gurkhas. We also published a monthly magazine ‘GURKHA SAINIK
AAWAJ’, the ‘voice of the Ex-Gurkhas’.I was the founding General Secretary, and in that capacity I was the editor for the magazine. Our objective was to investigate and account for the Gurkhas who sacrificed their lives for the British people and the Crown. At the same time I came to know Pradeep Thapa Magar, editor of LAAPHAA (Friend) cultural magazine and a group of editors who were devoting their writing to the cause of the indigenous people of Nepal Himalaya.
A Gorkhali Book by Dalbahadur Pun Magar
Gurkha Museum & Trust
The Nepal Editors Forum elected me chairperson. Later, in 1993, we formed the Victoria Cross Felicitation Committee to honour the 7 surviving recipients of the Victoria Cross, heroes of the Gurkha regiments. At the end of the programme the Victoria Cross Declaration was endorsed and signed by those VCs to establish a Gurkha Memorial Museum and Trust which would preserve Gorkhali history. Now the museum thrives in Pokhara where each day more than 500 visitors arrive.
Gurkha VCs and Gorkha Memorial Museum's members with late king Birendra in Kathmandu, 1998. Photo: Gurkha Memorial Trust & Museum, Pokhara, Nepal
The Gurkha History
This was a new beginning in the history of Gurkhas. In the two century-long history, such a public reception had never before occurred. The Gurkha themselves had never written anything to glorify their own history. Most documentation has been made either by the British or by Indian writers. In this long and arduous campaign to pursue justice, many new things have been learned about our brave Gurkhas. This is the time to explore and spread the message to the world and future generations that the Gurkhas were ‘the bravest of the brave’.
Fighting Against Injustice
The organised campaign against British injustice was started in 1990. In the 18 years since the dawn of democracy, much has been changed in Nepal. Once the king was the source of state power and now the monarchy is virtually extinct. In 2003, discrimination and compensation cases were lodged in the British High Court. In the compensation case, the British court ruled in favour of the Japanese POW Gurkhas. It was the first favourable court decision.
British Gurkhas Now
At present, nearly 3500 Gurkhas are serving in the British Army. A Gurkha regiment permanently resides at Seria, the State of Brunei Darussalam. In the 60 year period, after the partition of India, the first major setback occurred when the Gurkha regiments were split into two separate national armies for India and for the British. In 1968, for the second time the Gurkha were made redundant and moved from Malayan peninsula to Hong Kong. In 1997, for the third time, the Gurkhas were made redundant and moved to the UK. Since then Gurkha regiments are permanently settled in the British Isles. It is now home to the Gurkha regiments and their families.
Gorkhas in Indian Army
Today there are 7 Gorkha Regiments in the Indian Army, each with the strength of more than 5 battalions. Normally a battalion consist of 6 companies of 1000 soldiers. India has 4 Gurkha regimental training centres. The 1st and the 4th , known as 14 GTC (Gorkha Training Centre) is located at Subathu Simla Hills. The 3rd and 9th (39 GTC) is located at Banaras and 5th and 8th (58 GTC) is at Happy Valley Shillong and 11th GTC is at Lucknow. More than 6000 soldiers are stationed in the 4 Gorkha Regimental Training Centres. Currently, 35,000 Gorkha are deployed throughout India particularly in the Indo-Pakistan borders. All told, 41,000 Gorkhas are serving in the Indian army.
During World War II, more than 90 percent of the British army in India were recruited from Nepal and 10 percent from the Indian domiciled Gurkhas. However, now the context is entirely the reverse. The Nepali domiciled Gorkhas fulfil merely 40 percent and remaining 60 percent are from the Indian domiciled Gurkhas.
Gurkhas and Their Families in UK
As of September 1, 2004, when the Gurkhas were allowed to stay in Great Britain, more than 25,000 ex-Gurkhas and their families settled there permanently. Moreover, anyone newly recruited in the British army has the right to settle in the United Kingdom. Recently, the Queen’s Gurkha officer (QGO) rank, which was a colonial rank during British Rule in India, was abolished. The JCO (Junior Commission Officer) colonial ranks, Jemadar and Subadar, still exist in the Indian and Nepalese army.
Besides Hindu priest, Bhuddhist Lama is also included
Now, a breaking story is that the Hindu priest (Pundit) who is responsible to perform temple worship in the Gurkha battalion regiment, is also included by the Buddhist Lamas. All these changes have been rapidly taking place in the Gurkha establishments.
I am highly pleased and feel privileged to be invited to contribute regular articles on Gurkha issues. I will continue to write on a variety of aspects of the history of the Gurkhas.
Dr. Chandra Bahadur Gurung, ex-Gurkha and former lecturer at Prithvi Narayan University, Pokhara earned his Ph.D. in British Military History from the Dublin Metropolitan Universit, London in 2006.
He can be contacted at: cbgurung10@hotmail.com, Or, 98 Cholmeley Road, Reading Berkshire, RG1 3LY. U.K.
आयो गोर्खाली! Ayo Gorkhali!-२: One evening with VC Tulbahadur Pun Magar in Pokhara, Nepal
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