Professor Sir Ralph Turner, MC, who served with the 3rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles in the First World War, wrote an epitaph for the Gurkhas: “Bravest of the brave, most generous of the generous, never had country more faithful friends than you.”
The legendary Gurkha soldiers came from the foothills of the Himalayas in Nepal with their famous traditional weapon, the khukri, an 18 inch-long curved knife. Legend has it that, during a battle, a Gurkha soldier threw the khukri and when it severed the head of its enemy, it came back to the owner just like a boomerang- uncannily, a khukri is shaped almost like a boomerang. Once a khukri was drawn in battle, it had to taste the blood of an enemy- if not, the owner had to cut himself before returning it to its sheath.
They still carry their khukris into battle. They have immortalised the words, “It is better to die than to live a coward,” and their famous battle cry, “Ayo Gorkhali!” ("The Gurkhas are coming!") always strikes terror in the hearts of their quivering enemies, and brings reverence into the hearts of their allies.
Britain recognised the Gurkhas as the bravest of the brave nearly 200 years ago: The Gorkha War (1814-1816), also called the Anglo-Nepalese War, was fought between Nepal and the British East India Company as a result of border tensions and ambitious expansionism. Although the war was a disaster for Nepal and led to the signing of the Treaty of Sugauli in 1816, it was a boon to the Gurkhas. The British recognised the bravery and potential of the Gurkhas and recruited them into the British Indian Army as regular forces. The Gurkha soldier recruits were mainly drawn from several ethnic groups: Magar, Gurung, Rai, and Limbu.
Gurkhas are best known for their history of bravery and strength in the British Army's Brigade of Gurkhas and the Indian Army's Gorkha regiments. The Gurkhas were designated by British officials as a "Martial Race." "Martial Race" was a designation created by officials of British India to describe "races" that were thought to be naturally warlike and aggressive in battle, and who possess qualities of courage, loyalty, self-sufficiency, physical strength, resilience, orderliness, the ability to work hard for long periods of time, fighting tenacity and military strategy.
The British and the Gurkhas have been comrades-in-arms for nearly 200 years and have fought many battles and wars together. A deep feeling of mutual respect and admiration has developed between them over these long years together. Only the best and privileged British officers were given the opportunity to serve and command the elite Gurkha regiments. There have been twenty-six Victoria Crosses awarded to members of the Gurkha regiments. The first was awarded in 1858 and the last in 1965. Thirteen of the recipients have been British officers serving with Gurkha regiments, and the other thirteen have been received by Gurkhas serving in the ranks as private soldiers or as NCOs (non-commissioned officers). Also, there have been two George Cross medals awarded to Gurkha soldiers for acts of bravery in situations that have not involved combat.
The Gurkha Regiments saw active service in India, Burma, Afghanistan, both World Wars, Europe, Malaya (Malaysia), Singapore, Hong Kong, Kosovo and the Falkland Islands. There are currently 3,500 Gurkha soldiers in the British Gurkha Army, based in the UK and Brunei, and their tour of duty takes them to Iraq and Afghanistan, too.
Gurkhas are not mercenaries. Under international law, present-day British Gurkhas are not treated as mercenaries but as fully integrated soldiers of the British Army, they operate in formed units of the Brigade of Gurkhas, and they abide by the rules and regulations under which all British soldiers serve. A mercenary is a person who takes part in an armed conflict, who is not a national or a party to the conflict, and is "motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by the desire for private gain and, in fact, is promised, by or on behalf of a party to the conflict, material compensation substantially in excess of that promised or paid to combatants of similar ranks and functions in the armed forces of that Party" (Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Convention of August 1949). A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary, although he gets monetary reward from his service. The Gurkhas are not mercenaries under the laws of war since, although they may meet many of the requirements of Article 47 of the 1949 Additional Protocol I, they are exempt under clauses 47 (a) (c) (d) (e) & (f).
Britain finally recognised their faithful friends on 21 May, 2009 after nearly 200 years: The Gurkha justice campaign for residency rights and equal pensions has been no less an epic than Homer’s “Odyssey” or Vyasa’s “Mahabharata.” The long and undeterred campaign by Gurkha veterans with the unwavering support of the British public led to a landmark High Court ruling on 30 September 2008, and an embarrassing and humiliating defeat of the government in the House of Commons on 29 April 2009. Finally, on 21 May 2009, the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced that all ex-Gurkhas who retired before 1997 with at least 4 years service would be allowed to settle in the UK with their spouses and minor children if they wished. The actress Joanna Lumley, whose father Major James Rutherford Lumley served in the 6th Gurkha Rifle Regiment, had tirelessly campaigned for Gurkha rights. Shedding tears of joy, she said, “This is the welcome we have always longed to give the Gurkhas.”
The question now is: has the campaign for Gurkha rights come to an end? The answer: no, not until equal pensions and settlement rights for their dependent children who are over eighteen have been resolved. How many will come? Far fewer than the grossly exaggerated number presented by the Ministry of Defence. Probably no more than 5,000 including spouses and minor dependent children. How much will it cost the government to bring them in? Nil. Instead the government will be richer by several million pounds from visa fees.
Will they be better off here? The majority of ex-Gurkhas are employed as security guards doing a 12-hour shift, and their salaries are just enough for house rent (plus council tax) and the upkeep of their family. Unless every able member of the family works, it’s hard to save money or pay off mortgage for a house. But the Gurkhas have always been optimists.
The majority of former Gurkhas in Nepal are living well off with their annually increased pensions and other incomes from farming, investments in business ventures, and from self-employment. Some are employed in Hong Kong, Brunei, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Most have left the hills and now live in major cities such as Dharan, Damak, Ilam, Kathmandu, Pokhara, Damauli, Bhairahawa, Butwal, etc. They are now more involved in community development, local & national politics, and social work, too. Their children go to private boarding schools and colleges.
The older Gurkha veterans may not come to settle in the UK to end up in some miserable care homes. Instead they want equal pensions and want their dependent children who are over eighteen to have the right to settle in the UK. The younger generation has a greater future and more opportunities to improve their lives through higher education and, eventually, better jobs. The British Army can also recruit these Gurkha lads here in the UK instead of wasting millions of pounds of taxpayer’s money in Nepal.
The Gurkhas have been the most generous of the generous for nearly 200 years. Silently they have mourned and shed tears. Uncomplaining, they have endured their sorrows and pain, their heads held high with dignity and pride, knowing that their brave sons died for a just cause and not in vain. The Gurkha mothers have given up thousands of their sons for the Crown and country. The Gurkha soldiers have pledged more allegiance to the Queen than to their (former) King, have shown more patriotism for Britain than for their own country, and have given more lives for Britain than for their own country.
So why can’t the British government, for once, be more generous than the most generous of the generous by giving all ex-Gurkhas, regardless of when they served, a fair pension equal to their fellow British soldiers, and granting their children the right to settle in the UK? That would complete the epitaph written by Professor Sir Ralph Turner, MC, and his soul would rest in peace.
Ayo Gorkhali!
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