Rohit Rai

The United Kingdom (UK) has made it mandatory for all Nepali youths aspiring to join the British army to possess passports. The new arrangement was made following revelation of a Nepali youth, who was recruited into the Brigade of Gurkhas last year, using fake documents. He was subsequently dismissed.

Knowledgeable sources say it is especially Nepali youths who have exceeded the age limit for joining the British army who resort to fake documents. As per the rules set by the UK Ministry of Defense (MoD), only those between 17.5 and 21 years of age can apply to join the British army.

Many Nepali youths who are over the age bar apply to join, using the citizenship and academic certificates of younger relatives and acquaintances. Some even buy fake documents. Until last year, passports were not required.

As Nepal introduced Machine Readable Passports (MRP) -- which are next to impossible to forge -- from 2010, the new rule is likely to ease the problem of fake certificates.

Mohan Limbu, a local recruiting agent or gallawal in local parlance, says, “The new arrangement has been made by the British embassy.” However, he refused to shed further light on this.

An ignorant lot

As the UK has disseminated virtually no information about its new arrangement, many Nepali youths eying a future in the British army appear ignorant about it. After learning about the new arrangement some of them are hurtling toward Kathmandu, the only place for obtaining MRPs, to get their passports, and shelving their other preparations.

Bharat Rai, a 19-year-old from Mahabharat village of Dhankuta, recently applied for an MRP in Kathmandu after learning that he would have to produce his passport for applying to join the British army. “I learnt about this new rule on time,” Rai said. “But there are many village youths who are in the dark. They are likely to be turned back at the eleventh hour.”

Published on: 29 May 2011 | Republica