The former British Gurkhas are on a warpath.

Demanding pay and perks on a par with Commonwealth soldiers in the British Army, they launched a three-day relay hunger strike in front of the Lainchaur-based British Embassy on Thursday, demanding that Britain fulfil their five-point charter of demands.

British Gurkha Satyagraha Sangharsha Samiti, Nepal, which called the strike, said, “We sacrificed for Britain, but Britain kept discriminating against us. We are ready to sacrifice our lives to end this discrimination.” Through the strike in Nepal, these retired soldiers are expressing solidarity with the ‘main strike’ the ex-Gurkhas have launched in London.

“We took this step as the British government did not bother to deliver justice to us by treating us as equals,” said SP Ghising, general secretary of the Samiti.

Their major demands include pension on a par with Commonwealth soldiers, compensation, health facilities and indefinite leave to remain for Gurkha children aged above 18 years.

The Tripartite Agreement that Britain, India and Nepal had signed on November 1947 clearly states that Gurkhas should be treated on a par with other units in the parent army. But the agreement came into effect two decades later, benefiting only those soldiers, who were recruited after July 1997, and their offspring. While 3,000 Gurkhas, recruited after July 1997, have received equal facilities, those recruited before that have been on the receiving end.

“We sent three memorandums to the British government, including one through the Kathmandu-based British Embassy, to no avail,” he said.

In November 2009, the Nepali government formally approached Britain, asking the latter to address these issues, Ghising said. Britain has remained non-plussed, he said.

“Britain, which regards itself as mother of democracy and champion of human rights, must address our demand for justice,” Ghising said. He said ex-Gurkhas are still awaiting response from the British mission about British government’s plan. He asked the government in Nepal to resolve the issues through diplomatic channels.

Published on: 10 November 2013 | The Himalayan Times