"The Bravest of the Brave, The Most Generous of the Generous, Never Had a Country More Faithful Friends Than You!" These are the words inscribed on the Gurkha War Memorial in Whitehall.
On Tuesday I, along with some 100 members of the Gurkha community from in and around Reading (UK), was at a meeting of Reading Borough Council who unanimously passed a resolution asking the Government to grant retired Gurkhas the same rights as Commonwealth soldiers. This means the right to live in the UK, the same pension and access to benefits and health care.
The Gurkhas have served this country for over 200 years, taking an oath of allegiance to The Queen and this country. They have won 13 Victoria Crosses and more than 6,500 other decorations and battle honours.
After a lot of pressure, last year the Government extended these rights to members of The Brigade of Gurkhas who retired after 1st July 1997. Why that date? because up to then the Brigade HQ was in Hong Kong and was then moved to England. Not that the move made any difference to Gurkhas serving in the field! Those who retired prior to that date receive a pension of about £100 - £125 per month.
A Gurkha couple in Reading live in a 2-room flat, the rent paid by their son who is serving in the British Army. They had to buy crutches and a wheelchair for the wife who had a leg removed as the result of cancer because she doesn't qualify for help under the NHS. They pay £2 bus fare per day for their daughter to go to school as she doesn't qualify for a bus pass. They get by with the help of street charities and The Royal British Legion.
A group of five retired Gurkhas live together in one room which is all they can afford. They and the couple mentioned earlier have been waiting about two years for a decision on whether they can remain in this country!
Last year, an 82 year-old holder of the VC who was blind and suffered from diabetes, both conditions being brought on by his 20-years military service, was refused admission to the UK because it was not felt that "his ties to this country were not strong enough"!!!!! After a petition attracted thousands of signatures he was allowed admission and now lives in an old folks' home with his only income being his £125 monthly pension!
Reading Council is sending a copy of the resolution to every Local Authority in the UK with the hopes that more will try to bring pressure on the Government to help a group to which this country owes so much, a group which, as illness and old age take their toll, gets smaller and smaller.
I am not trying to glorify war – far from it, but the Gurkhas were there when we needed them. For UK Catters, if you hear of any action being taken in your area, please support it. If not, ask why not!
I was doing some interviews for Community Radio and was presented with a silk scarf, called a Khada, as a token of their gratitude for my support.
I never quite understood what "feeling humble" meant until then.

Eddie

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There were two threads on this subject, so I combined them at the request of the thread originators.
-Joe Offer-