Posted on 02/19/2007 11:20:01 PM PST by pau1f0rd
We received a petition asking:
"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Keep trying to honour the 2004 pledge to give retired Gurkhas the right to become citizens of the UK on retirement and to pay retired Gurkhas a fair pension."
Details of petition:
"The Government promised citizenship rights to retired Gurkhas following a major campaign in 2004, but hundreds of retired Gurkhas who should have the right to citizenship are having their applications unfairly held up by the Home Office. The Gurkhas are also fighting the Government decision to only allow Gurkhas who retired after 1st July 1997 to become citizens - discriminating against hundreds of Gurkhas who served loyally but retired before this artificial cut-off date. Gurkha campaigners are also calling for a fairer deal on pensions - Gurkha pensions are currently between 1/8th and 1/6th of the equivalent UK Service person."
Read the Government's response:
The Government is committed, as successive Governments have been, to the fair treatment of those who serve as loyally as Gurkhas within the British Army.
A wide ranging review of the terms and conditions of service for Gurkhas (GTACOS) is being conducted to ensure that they remain fair in the light of the changing role and status of the Brigade of Gurkhas and the personal aspirations of its members. Any differences from the wider Army must continue to be reasonable and justifiable.
Traditionally Gurkhas, as Nepalese citizens, have retired to Nepal after their service and the Gurkha Pension Scheme provides pensions that represent a good income in Nepal. Nearly all Gurkha servicemen complete at least 15 years service, which earns them an immediate pension for life, and beyond that for their close dependants.
The review of GTACOS includes pay and pensions and is considering whether the pension package should be revised to take account of the trend, resulting from the change to the immigration rules in 2004, for ex-Gurkhas to settle in UK rather than Nepal.
The review is not looking at the pensions and benefits for those who have already retired, which we maintain are fair and provide for a good standard of living in Nepal. They have been demonstrated to be justifiable, including in a Judicial Review and subsequent High Court Appeal, in 2003.
Exceptionally, however, we are looking again at the arguments for changing the arrangements for those Gurkhas who left the Army on or after 1 July 1997. 1 July 1997 was the date when the Gurkhas became a UK-based force on completion of the withdrawal from Hong Kong.
An announcement about the outcome of the review will be made in due course.
More info:
http://www.army.mod.uk/brigade_of_gurkhas/history/
http://www.army.mod.uk/linkedfiles/brigade_of_gurkhas/the_world_wars_and_the_subsequent_hisory.doc [MS Word file]
it involved soccer and a round object...... or so I've heard.
After awhile just mentioning that they were in the area caused the population of bad fellas to melt away and fight another day.
An Argentinian I met a couple of years ago said the same thing. He was in the Falklands and laughs about how fast they were trying to surrender and afraid that they were going to get shot or bombed..... then the rumors of the Ghurka regiment came around and he says they were more worried about that big "knife" and their necks....bwhahahahahah....nice fellow and now an American citizen.
I wish there was a movie about the Ghurkas in the second world war..... I was told that a bunch of the recruits had never been on or seen an airplane till they made their first jump with a parachute. ....some ballsy guys...
It's often the last bad idea a person has.
L
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.