Ex-British Gurkha soldiers call for retaining their Nepali citizenship

Kathmandu, June 9: Former British Gurkha soldiers have demanded that the Nepali citizenship obtained on the basis of descent should be retained.     

In today's meeting of the House of Representatives, State Affairs Committee, the representative of the former British Gurkha soldiers expressed that they want the continuation of the existing citizenship provided to them and not a new one.     

On that occasion, British Gurkha veteran Krishna Kumar Rai said that the issue of citizenship has raised concerns about whether the recruitment of Nepali youths in the British army will be stopped or if Nepali citizenship will be continued.     

Stating that Nepal receives an annual amount of approximately 210 million British currency as pay for the contribution of the former Gurkha soldiers to the British Army, he expressed the view that the issue of citizenship not being granted to the youth enlisted in the British Army as per the agreement between Nepal and the UK contradicts the core values of human rights.     

The meeting was informed that currently around 3,500 Nepali youths are working as Gurkha soldiers in the British Army, and there are about 22 thousand retired British Gurkha soldiers.     

Rai said, "It is necessary to rectify the situation where the Gurkha soldier serving in the British Army, when he dies in war, is counted as a British citizen, and when he returns alive, is taken to be a Nepali citizen. Dialogue between Nepal and Britain is essential regarding this."     

For approximately 210 years since 1814, the British Gurkha soldiers have acted as a bridge of friendship between Britain and Nepal, and according to Hom Kirati Sunuwar, a former British Gurkha, it is not a matter of their desire to acquire the British passport and residency right but a compulsion.     

Another former British Gurkha soldier, Himal Rai, emphasised the continuity of citizenship for descendants, pointing out that Nepal has been consistently receiving a large sum of pounds sterling, thanks to the contributions of talented young manpower of Gurkha descent in the British Army without any distinct financial investment.     

Today, the Committee discussed and sought opinions regarding the issues raised by the ex-British Gurkha soldiers concerning the bill proposed to amend the Citizenship Act of Nepal 2063.     

Meanwhile, earlier, the House of Representatives, International Relations and Tourism Committee had instructed the government to take necessary initiatives to address the demands related to justice and equality raised by the ex-British Gurkha servicemen. (RSS)