In January 2012 the BBC News reported that the British Ministry of Defense had announced major job cuts in the British Army. According to the chairman of the British Gurkha Welfare Society, Major Tikendra Dal Dewan, these retrenchments were about to affect the Gurkha Brigade the most. During the past decades, the Brigade has repeatedly been faced with several problems of similar kind. The working conditions of the Gurkha soldiers have always been very poor compared to those of their fellow soldiers serving the British Army, which becomes most obvious when looking at the different incomes: a Gurkha soldier earns only around one third of the salary of a British soldier. Furthermore, their pension is by far not as high as the pension of those former soldiers being of British origin.
Additionally, once retired, they were not allowed to stay in Great Britain with their families for a long time. Instead, they were sent back to Nepal. In the face of all the inequities and disadvantages the Gurkhas have been experiencing over the last decades, the question arises, why the British Army is still able to recruit Gurkha soldiers to such an extend?
The name Gurkha, also Gorkha or Goorkha, is derived from the Nepali word ‘“Gorkhali”’. Gorkha, literally signifying ‘Defender of cows’, means a man of Mongolian ancestry, from the ancient princedom of Gorkha about fifty miles to the west of Kathmandu, whose King, Prithivi Narayan Shah, constituted the Gorkhali army.
Surely, not all Nepalese soldiers had or have Gurkhali ancestors in their families. Nevertheless, the label ‘Gurka’ is uniquely used for all Nepalese soldiers who serve the British Army. Using a certain variety of spellings, the military still continues to label the ethnically diverse group of Nepali soldiers as Gurkha and by doing so manifests the term as a stereotypical designation that was obviously shaped by western imagination.
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. Traditional, Economic and Social Aspects that Shall be Considered as Reasons for Serving in the British Army
III. Current Events
IV. Conclusion
V. Bibliography
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper examines the motivations behind why young men in Nepal continue to enlist in the British Army, despite documented instances of unequal treatment, job cuts, and poor working conditions. It analyzes the interplay between long-standing cultural traditions, the economic necessity caused by poverty and lack of local employment, and the social prestige associated with serving in the British military.
- Historical context of the Gurkha Brigade and its long-standing alliance with the British Crown.
- Economic drivers including the critical role of remittances and the stark income disparities between Gurkha and British soldiers.
- The influence of family legacy, tradition, and the desire for social mobility through education and improved status.
- Current challenges such as military redundancies, pension disparities, and the ongoing struggle for equal rights in the United Kingdom.
Excerpt from the Book
II. Traditional, Economic and Social Aspects that Shall be Considered as Reasons for Serving in the British Army
Every year thousands of young men apply to the training academies of the British Army in Nepal. Even though these academies are highly expensive and most parents have to take out a credit loan, they send their children to one of the approx. 50 academies. Yet, only the strongest will be accepted (Weck 00:00:35). In consequence, most of the applications are unsuccessful. According to Liang “[t]here were 7,819 potential recruits last year and only 236 were picked: 176 for the British Army and 60 for the Singapore Police Force” (Liang 2013), who the Gurkhas have served since 1949. Other sources argue that up to 30,000 young men try to apply for the British Army and only one percent is taken to serve in the elite units (Weck 00:00:41). If that being the case, why do these young men struggle so much in order to serve in the British Army?
One of the main reasons may originate in the 200-years old tradition. For the majority of the Nepalese society, tradition is, next to religion, of high importance and needs to be passed on to the next generations. In consequence, mostly all men of a family of Gurkha tradition apply for the service in the British Army. The idolization of the fathers by their sons also supports this process. One of the many examples is “Arjun Rana, 17, […] [who] idolises his Gurkha father. His Facebook profile picture is a montage of photos of him and his father lifting weights and flexing their muscles under the caption, 'Like father, like son'” (Liang 2013). Taking this admiration into account, it becomes obvious that these young men want to continue the tradition of the life of a Gurkha soldier.
Summary of Chapters
I. Introduction: This chapter provides an overview of the challenges facing the Gurkha Brigade, including recent job cuts and historical inequities, while introducing the core research question regarding the continued attraction of British military service.
II. Traditional, Economic and Social Aspects that Shall be Considered as Reasons for Serving in the British Army: This chapter explores the multifaceted motivations for recruitment, ranging from 200-year-old family traditions and the pursuit of economic stability to the desire for education and elevated social status.
III. Current Events: This chapter details the modern struggles of the Gurkhas, focusing on redundancy rounds, the legal battles for the right to settle in the UK, and ongoing disputes over pension equality.
IV. Conclusion: This chapter synthesizes the findings, highlighting how the loyalty of the Gurkhas is rooted more in long-standing tradition and economic necessity than in a simple allegiance to the British state.
V. Bibliography: This chapter provides a comprehensive list of all primary and secondary sources utilized throughout the research, including books, government reports, and digital media.
Keywords
Gurkha Brigade, British Army, Nepal, military recruitment, economic migration, traditional loyalty, pension rights, social mobility, Gurkha Justice Campaign, Anglo-Nepalese War, remittances, caste system, military history, inequality, job cuts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this research?
The work examines the historical and modern motivations of Nepalese men who choose to serve in the British Army despite significant systemic challenges and inequalities.
What are the central themes discussed?
The core themes include the impact of ancestral tradition, economic survival in a developing nation, the pursuit of education, and the ongoing social and political struggle for equal treatment for veterans.
What is the main research question?
The central question is why young Nepalese men continue to struggle to join the British Army, even when faced with the disadvantages of low pay, poor working conditions, and potential separation from their families.
What research methods were utilized?
The author employed a qualitative analysis of historical documents, government reports, journalistic accounts, and existing scholarly literature regarding the Gurkha Brigade.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body covers the 200-year history of the Gurkha-British alliance, the economic dependency of Nepalese regions on army wages, and the modern-day legal and social efforts by the Gurkha Justice Campaign to secure rights for veterans.
Which keywords best characterize this document?
Key terms include Gurkha Brigade, British Army, economic migration, traditional loyalty, and the fight for pension equality.
How has the term "Gurkha" been shaped by history?
The text suggests the term has become a stereotypical designation shaped by western imagination to describe a diverse group of Nepalese soldiers associated with bravery and durability.
Why are economic factors crucial to this recruitment?
For many, military service is the primary alternative to farming in regions plagued by overpopulation and land shortages, offering wages significantly higher than the local average.
What role does the "Gurkha Justice Campaign" play?
This campaign group fights for the civil rights of Gurkha veterans in the UK, successfully challenging discriminatory laws regarding settlement rights and pensions.
How is the "heroic" image of the Gurkha maintained?
The reputation for being the "best soldiers in the world" is reinforced by western media and high-profile acts of bravery, such as those awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross.
- Quote paper
- Anne Lipp (Author), 2014, The Impact of the British Empire in Nepal, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/345084
