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NepalGurkhas Serving Abroad
Despite Nepalese sensitivities over domestic and
foreign
criticism of allowing foreign armies to recruit
"mercenaries" in
Nepal, various Gurkha units continued to serve outside
Nepal in the
early 1990s. The only Nepalese-controlled unit abroad,
however, was
the Nepalese army battalion posted to the United Nations
Interim
Force in Lebanon. Small Nepalese contingents also have
served in
United Nations peacekeeping forces in Korea and the Congo
(now
Zaire). Unlike neighboring states, such as Bangladesh and
Pakistan,
Nepal did not contribute military personnel to the
international
coalition that defeated Iraqi forces and liberated Kuwait
in the
1991 Operation Desert Storm campaign.
From Kathmandu's perspective, the military and economic
advantages accruing from foreign recruitment of Gurkhas
far
outweighed occasional criticism. Militarily, the presence
of over
100,000 trained and disciplined Gurkha veterans was a
valuable
human resource. Service abroad widened their horizons, and
military
training and discipline taught them not only how to obey,
but also
how to give orders. Many Gurkhas gained specialized skills
in
communications and engineering units, and most have had
some
training in such practical subjects as sanitation,
hygiene,
agriculture, and the building trades. The Gurkhas also
played an
important role in the country's economy. The cash flow
derived from
annual pensions, remittances to families, or monies taken
home in
a lump sum by discharged veterans or by service personnel
on leave
represented a major source of the country's foreign
exchange.
Remittances and pensions contributed by British Gurkhas
were
estimated in 1991 to total over US$60 million annually, or
over
twice the value of Britain's annual foreign aid commitment
to
Nepal. Pensions from Indian Gurkhas also represented a
major
revenue source. Gurkhas returning from duty in Hong Kong
also were
able legally to import a few kilograms of gold bullion
duty free.
In some Gurung villages, about half of the families had
one or
more pensioners. For many families, hope of financial
solvency
rested on their sons returning home with a substantial sum
saved
during a three-year enlistment. Such income also directly
benefited
the economy, as money circulated in the purchase of
consumer goods,
the payment of debts, the purchase of land, or investment
in small
commercial ventures.
The British Brigade of Gurkhas was the most famous
unit. By
1991 the brigade comprised about 8,000 soldiers--five
infantry
battalions and supporting units--most of whom were posted
to Hong
Kong. There was considerable uncertainty over the
brigade's future,
however. Cutbacks in British military commitments in
Europe,
coupled with plans to cede control of Hong Kong to China
in 1997,
left the brigade's future in doubt. Under a proposed
scheme, the
brigade would be based in Britain and would induct fewer
than 150
Nepalese recruits annually. An informal lobby of former
Gurkha
regimental commanders exerted tremendous political
pressure
whenever the British Parliament considered changes in
Gurkha force
structure. Although some Britons considered the existence
of
foreign-recruited units anachronistic in a modern
sophisticated
army, much of the British public and defense establishment
harbored
strong sentimental attachments to the Brigade of Gurkhas.
As of 1991, there were more than 100,000 Gurkhas
serving in
over forty Indian infantry battalions and elsewhere in the
Indian
Army. Their pay and pensions, though not as generous as
British
benefits, also represented a significant contribution to
the
Nepalese economy. Almost all of the Indian Gurkhas served
in
ethnically distinct regiments commanded by non-Gurkha
officers. In
addition, about twenty-five battalions of Assam Rifles, a
specialized paramilitary force descended from the old
British unit
of the same name, were staffed almost exclusively by
Gurkha
recruits. Gurkhas played no appreciable role in Indian
services
other than the army and paramilitary forces. As during the
British
Raj, successive Indian governments called upon Gurkha
regiments on
numerous occasions to put down domestic disturbances that
were
beyond the control of local police. Ethnically homogeneous
Gurkha
units often were considered more reliable than mixed units
that
might be tempted to side with ethnic kin embroiled in a
dispute.
Singapore has maintained a small Gurkha contingent
attached to
the Singapore Police since the early 1950s. Composed
entirely of
British Gurkha veterans and commanded by British officers,
the
contingent performed guard duties and assisted the local
police in
routine security chores. The sultan of Brunei also
maintained a
900-person Gurkha Reserve Unit equipped with light
infantry
weapons. As with the Singapore unit, the Brunei Gurkhas
all were
British Army veterans. The unit functioned primarily as a
praetorian guard that protected the sultan--reputedly the
richest
man in the world--against any internal or external threat
that
might arise.
Data as of September 1991
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