Opinion | Gurkhas fought and died for Britain. They should not have to beg for their pensions
- Since 1815, the Gurkhas have fought in every war involving Britain, yet they are still fighting for equal rights
- The Gurkhas have been mistreated and taken for granted by both British and Nepalese governments
Police have sought to evict them but their campaign to ensure equal military pensions for former Gurkha soldiers, originally from Nepal, has begun to attract support from the British public.
Despite not being a member country of the Allied forces, Nepal sent more 200,000 Gurkhas to World War I, fighting throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa. One in 10 Gurkhas did not return. Similarly, in World War II, more than 250,000 Gurkhas went to fight for the British. More than 33,000 of them died.
The main problem arises from the treaty signed by Britain, India and Nepal in 1947, which remains the basis for Gurkhas enlisting in the British Army. After India gained independence, four Gurkha regiments followed the British and moved to Malaysia and Singapore while six Gurkha regiments joined the newly formed Indian Army.
