Now 58 years old, Thakuri still has the same zeal and enthusiasm and has opted for integration in the Nepal Army (NA). [break]
"I joined the Indian Army at 17 and joined the People´s War at 42. Why can´t I join the NA at 58?" asks Thakuri, a company commander at the fifth division in Rolpa. "I will share my experiences with the NA."
As a retired head constable in the Indian army, Thakuri draws Rs 12,000 a month as pension, and is hoping of drawing pensions from the NA also.
"The Indian pension will go to my elder wife and the NA pension to my younger wife," beams Thakuri, the husband of two.
Sita KC, his mother-in-law from the side of the youngest wife, reached the Rolpa cantonment the other day, and encouraged him to join the NA. She is only six years older than Thakuri.
"I have the same energy I had as a teenager. So, I am hopeful that I will be able to join the NA," he added. He was an eighth grader when he joined the Indian Army, and he passed SLS exams in first division during his stay in the cantonment.
After getting retirement from the Indian army in 1991, Thakuri was elected as the vice-chairman of Libang village development committee from then Samyukta Janamorcha Nepal, political front for election of CPN (Unity Centre) that included the current Maoist party.
He fought over a dozen wars bravely, but Thakuri is not sure how his contributions would be evaluated in history.
"I joined the insurgency to change the society for the better. Unfortunately, what we did has brought the changes in the lives of our leaders only."
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