Sheathing The Kukri

Prachanda’s call to restrict Gorkhas from joining the Indian Army will impact Indo-Nepal ties and the soldiers’ prospects, reports SHANTANU GUHA RAY

THIS WEEK, when soldiers of the Gorkha Rifles moved out of the Eastern Command headquarters in Kolkata, it raised eyebrows, because it was for the first time the traditional garrison battalion — considered the age-old sentinels of Fort William — was moving out with bag and baggage, barring a few months during the Kargil War in 1999.

The defence ministry spokesman in Kolkata, Group Captain RK Das, tried to douse speculation and described the movement as routine field movement. His point was that the units have to be housed two years at home and three years in the field. “There’s nothing out of the way, it’s routine,” Das told TEHELKA.

But tensions remained high because many people, both in Kolkata and in New Delhi felt that this movement was necessitated by the changed political scenario in neighbouring Nepal and by the restrictions imposed by Maoist chief Prachanda on Gorkhas serving in India and in the United Kingdom.

Prachanda’s call was met with a stern message from the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy and former Indian Ambassador to Nepal Shyam Saran, who said New Delhi would stop Gorkha recruitment if Kathmandu wants it to.

Speaking recently in Delhi, Saran made it clear that India would suffer no “practical impact” by discontinuing the recruitment, which continued only because of the special relations enjoyed by the neighbours. “The Gorkhas are true patriots. I am not worried about the Fort William movement but do not know how our politicians will handle it,” says Maj Gen (Retd) Ian Cardozo, who commanded Gorkha battalions while in service.

Cardozo should know. There are more than 40,000 Gorkha soldiers serving in India, most of them from Nepal. But this recent call by Prachanda, who told reporters last month that Nepali Gorkhas should not be allowed to join Indian defence forces, could impact traditional military ties between the two countries.

Interestingly, there are two types of Gorkhas in the Indian Army — those who migrated from Nepal so long ago that they are basically from India, and those from Nepal. Under a tripartite agreement signed between India, Nepal and Britain in 1947, Gorkhas from Nepal were allowed to work in the British and Indian armies.

Experts agree that Kathmandu could exert pressure because of New Delhi’s dwindling hold on the Himalayan Kingdom following the Maoists coming to power. “There has to be a way out of the present crisis. If Nepali Gorkhas are stopped from joining the army then the association between the armies and the countries will be affected,” says defence analyst Bharat Varma, adding: “Prachanda’s demand, if acceded to, will impact ties between the two countries and lead to anarchy in his own backyard due to large-scale unemployment.”

Crucial to the crisis is also the issue of pensions, which are large in number. “The Indian government has opened hospitals and other facilities in Kathmandu and other parts of Nepal. What happens to them?” asks Varma.

In Darjeeling, home to Indian Gorkhas, the crisis has turned into a sentimental issue, triggering violent protests. Senior party members of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJMM) — which is demanding an independent state comprising the hills and certain areas contiguous to it in West Bengal — have asked Defence Minister AK Antony to intervene. “We ask the Defence Minister to solve the issue immediately,” GJMM general secretary Roshan Giri said.

Antony has not reacted, nor have the soldiers, stuck between the choice of choosing a life in their country or one that will ensure livelihood and sustenance. •