The charm of joining the Indian and British armies is so high in the villages that many young and talented village youths, some with first division in SLC examinations, now vie for Indian Army jobs, owing to many reasons. One of the major reasons for Nepali youths’ attraction toward foreign army jobs is due to the possibility of making good money and settling down with a decent level of financial security. In present day Nepal, where even the educated face a tough time to find a decent job, it is quite natural for village folks to encourage their sons to try their luck in the Indian Army.
Taking advantage of the situation, some clever minds have found a new way of minting money by promising to provide these young minds with pre-training program to join the Indian and British armies. In the Western hills, I happened to witness hundreds of Nepali youths undergoing physical training at a training camp managed by ex-Indian Army personnel.
Around the world, Gorkhas have attracted a lot of attention with their valor and courage. There are many stories about their fighting spirit. India’s first field marshal, S H F J Manekshaw, preferred calling himself Sam ‘Bahadur’ as a sign of respect for the brave Gorkha soldiers, most of whom came from Nepal. He is once reported to have said that if anyone says he does not fear death, either he’s lying or he is a Gorkha. Even today, one need not be surprised if Nepalis, at the world stage, are known by the mythical-sounding stories of Gorkhas’ bravery and as a birthplace of Gautam Buddha, apart from having the highest peak in the world, Mt Everest.
How long are we going to continue with this slave mentality of sending our Nepali sons to sacrifice their lives for another country’s sovereignty and security in the name of age-old tradition?
Unlike Gorkhas serving in the British army, Gorkhas in the Indian Army are treated at par with Indian soldiers in terms of salary, compensation, facilities and pension, which is good. Besides, Indian government, through its ex-army welfare division, has been helping build roads, water taps and schools in remote areas of Nepal, heavily populated by ex-Indian Army personnel.
Similarly, the remittance coming from Nepalis working in the Indian Army and the pensioners is really big and plays a pivotal role to balance a sluggish Nepali economy. Most importantly, unemployment, one of the most serious problems of Nepal, is being checked because of opportunities that Nepali youths are getting in the Indian Army.
That’s all good, fantastic actually. However, the big ‘but’ is: How long are we going to continue with this slave mentality of sending our Nepali sons to sacrifice their lives for another country’s sovereignty and security in the name of age-old tradition, and due to unequal treaty signed with British India? This might not happen, or should never happen but what if Nepal tomorrow goes to war with its big brother. What will these brave hearts do: Fight for their masters or sacrifice their lives for the motherland?
Those who oppose the idea of closing down recruitment in the foreign army are of the belief that doing so will affect our relationship with India. They further claim that this will lead to anarchy in Nepal due to large-scale unemployment.
That’s true. But we have to find alternatives. We have to face the situation. As a country, we cannot afford to be afraid of the situation arising out of our decision taken for the long-term national interest.
Two years back, when the UCPN (Maoist) raised this issue in their election manifesto, a lot of dissenting voices were heard, as expected, especially from the leaders of ex-Indian Army personnel in Nepal. Many labeled it as a suicidal decision on the part of the Maoists. Subsequently, the Maoists changed their stance out of pressure and said that it was their long-term agenda.
People may point at the dearth of employment opportunities in the country that will, in all likelihood, not change any time soon. It is a fact that millions of Nepalis, because of the absence of employment opportunities at home, have been working in many parts of the world doing odd jobs in really hazardous conditions. However, it’s a completely different thing to work as a laborer in another country and to be working in the national security force of a foreign nation.
Every country once in a while goes through a hard time. In Nepal also, things might go really messy if Gorkha recruitment is stopped. At the height of the Indian independence movement, it is said that the British rulers in India, with malicious motive, used to tell the Indians that they would not be able to run their country themselves. Now, India proudly calls itself the largest democracy in the world. Following their independence, our South Asian neighbors, India and Bangladesh, had to bear the brunt of famine that took the lives of thousands of people. But now, India boasts itself of being the second-largest rice exporter in the world.
The sooner the better! For Nepal to become a fully sovereign state, it must stop sending its people to work for foreign national armies. The job is tough and challenging, involving severe problems inside and outside the country. So, it may not look viable now. But, at least, it’s time we started a debate on it. To carry out such a huge task, the country needs a stable and people-centered government. But, given the present situation, when the country is struggling since more than a month to get a new government, it seems it is too much to be asking for.
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