Around 630 members of the 2nd Battalion the Royal Gurkha Rifles (2 RGR) marched through the streets of Folkestone, Kent, under blazing hot sunshine to celebrate them being given the freedom of the town. [break]
Actress Joanna Lumley who fronted the Gurkhas´ victorious campaign to obtain settlement rights in Britain, addressed the crowds of well-wishers.
She said: "I just wanted to say how thrilled I am to be here today, celebrating giving the freedom of your town to these remarkable men and their families.
"This is a wonderful day for Britain. You are the spearhead today for how this country can welcome people, it can recognize and honor."
Dressed in a black dress, black blazer jacket and dark green leather boots, Ms Lumley looked emotional as three cheers were called out for her.
Later she said: "I´m so proud. It´s such a thrill to see the battalion marching through such a fabulously pretty town which has opened its arms to the Gurkhas.
"And now they´ve given them the freedom of their town, which is very well deserved."
Speaking of their new right to settle in the UK - won by The Sun´s campaign - she said: "The debt of honor has been repaid to them.
"The fact that they can now stay and settle here should have happened a long time ago, but the thing is, it´s happened now on our watch."
"It is an honor to have them ... they are such brave men and they have done such a lot for our country."
The Sun led the campaign to give ALL Gurkha veterans the right to live in Britain.
Crowds cheered and clapped as the soldiers, who are based at the town´s Shorncliffe Barracks, marched along the Leas promenade overlooking the sea, before being presented the Freedom of Folkestone honor by town mayor Janet Andrews.
Elsie Nash, 73, from Folkestone, said she was proud to have Gurkhas living in the town.
She said: "It is an honor to have them here in Folkestone, they are such brave men and they have done such a lot for our country.
"I was so pleased for them when they were told they could stay, and it is lovely to see Joanna Lumley here with them. She is just wonderful."
There were scenes of jubilation in Westminster on May 21 as the then Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced all Gurkha veterans with four years´ service would be allowed to settle in the UK.
Lumley, whose late father was an officer in the Gurkha regiment, greeted the news with a cheer of "Ayo Gurkhali" and "the Gurkhas are coming" surrounded by the Nepalese warriors.
The much-awaited decision by the Government followed a two-year legal and political battle for equal rights for those Gurkhas who retired before 1997, when their base moved from Hong Kong to Kent.
In April, campaigners had reacted with fury at Home Office rules which they said would allow only 100 more Gurkhas, mostly officers and medal winners, to live in Britain, but would exclude ordinary infantrymen.
Soldiers from 2 RGR returned from Afghanistan six weeks´ ago after being deployed across Helmand Province in a variety of roles.
These included mentoring the Afghan National Police, working with Danish forces at Forward Operating Bases and working alongside the Queen´s Dragoon Guards at Lashkar Gah.
Two members of the regiment lost their lives during the deployment. Rifleman Yubrai Raj, 28, and Colour Sergeant Krishna Dura, 36, were both killed in November last year in separate incidents.
Lumley meets mystery woman
A "mystery" Kent woman whose chance remark led Joanna Lumley to get involved with the Gurkha Justice campaign has finally met the actress, BBC reported.
Annie Watsham, 51, of Cranbrook, near Tunbridge Wells, put forward her idea while signing a petition in August.
In May all Gurkha veterans with at least four years´ service were given permission to settle in the UK.
Lumley´s involvement is credited with propelling their cause into the spotlight.
She met with Watsham outside the Vestry Hall in Cranbrook where she had signed the petition.
Lumley said: "It´s very thrilling to meet her for the first time. It´s just brilliant what she did.
"She plays such a pivotal part of this story. It was the little link that was missing. That´s how I met Peter, which has become the most important part of this campaign." Watsham said she told Peter Carroll from the Gurkha Justice campaign that he should approach Ms Lumley because she remembered the actress´s father was an officer in the Gurkha regiment.
She said Ms Lumley had also donated £500 towards a charity trek she undertook through Nepal 10 years ago.
Carroll launched a search for her through a Kent newspaper because he could not remember her name.
He said: "If Annie hadn´t made that comment, then maybe she [Ms Lumley] wouldn´t have got involved and maybe we wouldn´t have won the campaign. We just don´t know."
Watsham added: "I was totally shocked when I found out I had some involvement in the campaign.
"It´s been amazing to meet her. She was very warm, very natural."
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