KATHMANDU, Feb 2: The Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen's Organization (GAESO) has asked the British government, and specifically General Sir Patrick Sanders, chief of army staff of Britain, who is on a visit to Nepal to address the long-standing inequalities faced by Nepali Gorkha soldiers.
KATHMANDU, Feb 2: The Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen's Organization (GAESO) has asked the British government, and specifically General Sir Patrick Sanders, chief of army staff of Britain, who is on a visit to Nepal to address the long-standing inequalities faced by Nepali Gorkha soldiers.
LONDON, August 9: The ex-Gurkhas who staged relay hunger strike in front of the British Prime Minister for the past 17 days demanding equal pension pay now have launched fast-unto-death campaign.
Gyan Raj Rai, a former Gurkha veteran and hunger striker, shared they were forced to launch fast-unto-death when their demands were not addressed despite repeatedly approaching Nepal and British governments through several medium. "We resorted to go for hunger strike when all other alternatives were used".
In a letter to Coordinator of Gorkha Satyagraha Joint Struggle Committee, Krishna Bahadur Rai, on last Saturday, the Nepal government urged them to put off hunger strike noting their demand would be addressed by initiating diplomatic dealing with the British government. However, the agitating side denied the proposal.
Struggle Committee Coordinator Rai said hunger strike would continue until and unless British government sends an authorized letter stipulating date for dialogue.
Former Gurkha veterans, Gyan Raj Rai, Pushpa Ghale and Dhan Bahadur Gurung are sitting for hunger strike.
Various Nepali organizations based in the United Kingdom and British citizens have also demonstrated solidarity for hunger strike campaign launched by ex-Gurkhas for justice, coordinator Rai shared.
Representatives of Nepali organizations that were established for the welfare of ex-Gurkhas had called on Nepal's Ambassador to the UK, Lokdarshan Regmi to apprise him of the ongoing relay hunger strike last week.
The ex-Gurkha solders' organizations have submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on the problems facing the retired British Gurkha soldiers. PM Oli has been demanded to form a high level talk team to hold a diplomatic dialogue with British government so that their 13-point demand would be addressed.
The 13-point demand was based on the discussion made during the joint technical committee of the organizations. They also demanded the immediate disclosure of correspondence, and other information made between the Nepal and British governments on the issues relating to ex-Gurkha armies and the official view of the respective governments.
Earlier, the Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen's Organizations (GAESO) had sent similar memorandum to the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and NRNA Gorkha department.
The representatives of GAESO and various Gorkha organizations submitted the memorandum to Nepal's PM Oli via the Embassy of Nepal in London on Wednesday morning.
On the occasion, Acting Chairperson of GAESO, Dharma Tamang, said Britain and Nepal have historic relations, but there was still discriminatory behaviour to ex-Gurkha soldiers. So, they were continuing struggle for three decades.
Receiving the memorandum, Nepali Ambassador to the UK, Lok Darshan Regmi, informed that the issues of ex-Gurkha armies was also the priority of Nepal government. So, he had kept it as an important issue to address since he assumed office, Ambassador Regmi added.
