Gorkha soldiers and Nepal: A Changed Context, by Commander Prem P Batra

[Veterans India]

Dear Sirs,


1. Can any body venture to enlighten and educate what is likely the
shape of things to come vis-a-vis, 17 Gorkhas Regiments serving in the
Indian Army, if debarred by the New Nepal Dispensation. Did Meneckshaw
belonged to Gorkha Regiment!

2. Great Britain has literally dumped them-differential pensions, no
permanent citizenship, etc, after squeezing them for life. UK is no
more in the business of ground military engagements. Europe is
steadily becoming a Union of treacherous trade of the 16/17/18th
Centuries of trade and gun diplomacy because they cannot afford guns
and boats and with dwindling children being born to couples where the
parents are loathed to send their wards to get killed or wounded for
some body else's wars and their Political Leaders of democracy in
being in danger. Money, technology and white skin will do for them.

3. Even the Indian Army took 7/8 years to give ECHS cover to Gorkha
Soldiers since the inception of ECHS for the Veterans in 2004. It is
usual for the MOD to split hair and allow the things to drift when the
need is not acute. They are not known to think long term. They closed
the Air Base in Tajikistan and now are trying to revive, if at all
they succeed..

4. MOD can still mend its fences. I believe there are 6 million
Nepalese Indians with dual citizenship and many come as Watchmen to
eke out their living. Not all are bad. May be our treatment lacks some
thing.

May be GOI can solve in way it is solving NRIs problems with
attractive foreign countries and proper protocols with Nepal. USA
today grants Green Card the aspirants to the aspirants who are
selected. And citizenship if not killed in war. Plus there are many
more incentives. Another likely scenario which may come that Europe to
may give permanent residency or citizenship to Indians to join their
Armies in the not distant future.

Sadly, MOD treatment of its own serving and Veterans to say the least
is degrading. GOI must be aware that not many parents are willing to
send their Child of the 1/2 Family they have were the Bureaucracy and
the Political Leadership are not even willing to talk to then even at
their annual service memorial functions. Even our very own IDSA only
sit in ivory towers and suppress gag at every opportunity and place,
the Uniform and the Veterans do not even count.

The shortage of officers in the Armed Forces is not due other reasons
that perhaps are alluded to above.

5. Where do we go!

With best regards,

Commander Prem P Batra ( Veteran)