LONDON, June 9: A ministerial-level tripartite meeting held on Monday on the long-standing demands of former British Gurkha soldiers for equal pensions and rights has reportedly moved in a positive direction.
The talks, held at the Nepali Embassy in London, were attended by three British ministers, while Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal joined virtually. Khanal urged the UK government to find an immediate solution to ensure equal pensions and rights for retired Gurkhas who served in the British Army.
According to Nepal’s Acting Ambassador to the UK, Bipin Duwadi, both the Nepal government and representatives of former Gurkha soldiers clearly presented their positions during the discussion.
“The talks are progressing positively, and the issues are gradually being narrowed down. All sides appear flexible, particularly on the welfare package,” Duwadi said.
Dashain aayo (again)
During the meeting, UK Defence Secretary John Healey and Veterans and People Minister Al Carns expressed their commitment to providing maximum support for the welfare of former Gurkha soldiers.
However, Krishna Bantawa Rai, chief coordinator of the Gurkha Satyagraha Joint Struggle Committee, said the movement’s core issue is equal pensions, not welfare benefits.
“Our struggle is for equal pensions. We are not interested in negotiating welfare packages,” Rai said.
He stressed that the demands should be addressed in line with the 11-point proposal previously submitted to the British government. Rai warned that attempts to divert attention toward welfare issues could derail the process.
“If the demand for equal pensions is not met, the movement could intensify and may even affect future Gurkha recruitment between Nepal and the UK,” he said.
Retired Major Tikendra Dewan, Gurkha activist Gyan Raj Rai and retired Major Juddha Bahadur Gurung also presented their views during the talks.
In a statement issued Monday evening, Nepal’s Foreign Ministry said the discussions focused primarily on long-standing concerns of British Gurkha veterans, particularly the demand for proportional and equal pensions.
The ministry said Foreign Minister Khanal highlighted the historic contribution of Gurkha soldiers and called for a prompt, fair and mutually acceptable resolution.
On the British side, Al Carns reiterated his commitment to working closely with Nepal to resolve the issue.
The meeting was attended by Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai and other senior Nepali officials. The British delegation included Alex Baker and officials from the UK Ministry of Defence. Representatives of Gurkha organizations in the UK also joined virtually.
Prior to the talks, Khanal held a separate virtual consultation with Gurkha representatives based in Britain.
The next round of tripartite talks is scheduled for July by mutual agreement of the three sides.
