Posts Tagged ‘british army’
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This article does not only make me angry, it engrages me.
This follows on from the expenses scandal that completely obliterated how Members of the British Parliament conduct their business. Whilst 17 year old men on barely £16,000 ($25,440) a year die due to poor equipment and lack of resources in Afghanistan, these MPs were out there lavishing their apartments and country houses. Country houses, gentlemen.
No sir, this is rotten, utterly rotten.
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Currently, the British Army operates regiments formed by volunteers from the highlands of Nepal. They are are fearless, hold the highest number of the most pretigeous award for bravery and courage in their ranks than any other NATO fighting force and have served since the early 19th century. They are Gurkhas and are recognised as probably the bravest and most dynamic fighting force on the planet.
To put it even more simply: they are the Chuck Norris of elite forces.
Most recently they have returned from a tour in Helmand Province, Afghanistan where they had spent months teaching everyone else how to do the job properly.
But they face a problem for those who served in the Army but retired before 1997: they cannot get British citizenship.
This is a disgusting and discraceful state of affairs as it means that those Gurkhas who had served in the Second World War and had put it all on the line again and again for freedom are told to go away if they dare try and come to the UK to live or for medical treatment. Some like Rifleman Ram Bahadur Gurung who had served the UK as a Gurkha for sixteen loyal and selfless years was denied leave to remain in the UK or to bring his family to this country.
Obviously, putting it on the line for Queen and Country doesn’t gaurantee you respect from the faceless civil servants who pollute Britain’s government today.
Before he could be deported though, nature interveined he suffered a massive stroke in January and was put into intensive care in a London Hospital but even then it took a hard legal fight to gaurantee that he wouldn’t be on the first plane out of the UK as soon as he became..well..less bedridden. Not only that but the UK government barred his most of his family (who all live in Nepal) from visiting the UK to be at his bedside.
He died yesterday peacefully in his sleep. Another victim of the general indifference and disrespect that this government displays to servicemen in general.
It was utterly discraceful cases such as these which have led to the launch of the Gurkha Justice Campaign led from the front by Actress Joanna Lumley and supported by Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg and Conservative Party Leader David Cameron. They campaign for all Gurkhas to be given the choice to settle in the UK or Nepal.
The Government say that this would mean the UK being “swamped” by over 100,000 former Gurkhas. This is utterly false and a disgusting way to treat those who give up their lives to serve a nation thousands of miles away on a different continent. The bottom line is that most Gurkhas if given the choice would rather go back to live in Nepal but we must give them a choice regardless as that is the very least we can do to repay the debt we owe these brave, selfless and loyal men.
Last week, the Government offered a “consession” by “easing” the criteria for which they let Gurkhas in. So, to be considered for a move to the UK you must now:
- Must have 20 years of continuous service in the British Armed Forces under your belt.
- Must hold a level 1 – 3 award for bravery, gallantry or leadership (Victoria Cross, DSC or MC for example).
- Have close family settled in the UK.
So, this would only cover 400 out of, what? 150,000?
Words cannot describe the anger and seething rage I have for this dispicable government and its unforgivable cynical behaviour.
And I’m not alone, upon reading the ruling by the UK Government, the Gurkhas have vowed not to apply under such discriminatory guidelines.
And not only that, Parliament disagrees too and boy did they step in on the side of common sense! On Wednesday, the Opposition called a debate and a vote on these vile measures and, joined by 26 Government MPs, voted to condemn and reject the new rules. The vote is non-binding but this humiliation must force the government to think again.
For the assembled Gurkha veterans outside, they could hardly believe it and they celebrated for they now knew that they had the people of Britain on their side.
And surely isn’t that the least we could do for our heroes from the land on the roof of the world?
