Gurkha veterans lose case for pension equality with other soldiers - Polidicks

[URL="http://www.itv.com/news/2016-09-15/gurkha-veterans-lose-pensions-parity-fight/"]Source.[/URL] [QUOTE]Gurkha veterans have lost their fight to win pensions parity with their non-Gurkha British counterparts. Historically Gurkhas had a different pension scheme from other soldiers in the British Army, with pensions a third or half of their non-Gurkha counterparts. Pensions were lower as they were linked to the cost of living in Nepal (only Nepali nationals can become Gurkhas) as it was assumed that Gurkhas would retire there after their service. Changes in 1997 brought their pensions in line with those of other soldiers when the Brigade's home base was moved to the UK and in 2009 they were permitted to apply for resettlement in the UK. The complaint was brought by two retired Gurkha soldiers and an NGO who complained that their pension entitlement had been less favourable due to their service pre-1997.[/QUOTE] Bloody appalling. Why must the MoD fight against giving people what they're due? It was the same with the reluctance to allow them to live in the UK - if they're serving in this country's armed forces they're entitled to live here.

Bloody ridiculous. They put their life on the line for our country, the very least they deserve is British citizenship and a proper pension afterwards. Its an insanely competitive thing to become a Gurkha, too. MoD le valu ko chak chus

Bloody lunacrious, no one should be left out in the rain after putting their life on their line for others.

The Gurkha communities in England are one of the warmest, most polite communities I've ever come across. I've never met a single Gurkha person who has been rude, arrogant or an asshole. They're always really respectful and welcoming. The town I grew up in had a large Gurkha community and I was friends with a bunch of them in Highschool, seriously good people. It's absolutely shit that they're being treated this way.

No. Those men deserve even more a pension if anything, given their special forces nature. They're some of the toughest fighters there are, if you want proof look up what they did in the Burma theater in WWII against Tojo.

[QUOTE=TheNerdPest14;51060794]No. Those men deserve even more a pension if anything, given their special forces nature. They're some of the toughest fighters there are, if you want proof look up what they did in the Burma theater in WWII against Tojo.[/QUOTE] Absolutely. Do these guys [I]know[/I] what a fucking Gurkha is? I don't want to imagine some alternative universe where the Gurkha's ended up being part of the German Army instead because literally everything on the planet would be dead

This is a disgrace, gurkhas if anything deserve the pension. Without doubt some of the most toughest both mentally and physically soldiers in the world. I hope someone steps in

Not to mention nepali food guys. Their curry is top notch, and as for momo... It thrashes any other dumpling. I went to school in an area with a high % of nepali people. They all work ridiculously hard at everything. Then Google these names: Diprassad Pun Bishnu Shrestha Lachiman Gurung Yeah. They did that.

[QUOTE=Terminutter;51061482]Not to mention nepali food guys. Their curry is top notch, and as for momo... It thrashes any other dumpling. I went to school in an area with a high % of nepali people. They all work ridiculously hard at everything. Then Google these names: Diprassad Pun Bishnu Shrestha Lachiman Gurung Yeah. They did that.[/QUOTE] Holy fuck. All of these guys are total badasses. [quote][B]Dipprasad Pun[/B], CGC (Nepali: दिपप्रसाद पुन) is a Nepalese sergeant of the Royal Gurkha Rifles who was decorated with the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross for an act of bravery during the War in Afghanistan on the night of 17 September 2010.[2] Pun, then an acting sergeant, single-handedly defeated 30 Taliban insurgents who were storming his control post near Babaji in Helmand province. Immediately prior to the engagement, Pun, who was with the 1st battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles, was on sentry duty at a checkpoint guarding his unit's compound. Taliban fighters, planting bombs near the compound gate under the cover of darkness, suddenly surrounded and attacked his post with AK-47s and RPGs. Acting Sergeant Pun, alone and believing he was about to die, decided to kill as many of the enemy as possible.[3] During the engagement he reportedly spent all his ammunition (more than 400 rounds), used 17 hand grenades and a Claymore mine before battering the last fighter with the tripod of his machine gun. Two Taliban were still attacking his post when he set off the Claymore mine.[3] Upon receiving the award, Pun said that he had no choice but to fight; the reason being that the Taliban had surrounded his checkpoint, and that he was alone. During the engagement, Pun saved the lives of three of his comrades and prevented his post from being overrun. His actions are cited as "the bravest seen in his battalion during two hard tours"[/quote] [quote][B]Lachhiman Gurung[/B] VC (Nepali: लाछिमान गुरुङ; 30 December 1917 – 12 December 2010[2]) was a Nepalese Gurkha recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. On 12/13 May 1945 at Taungdaw, Burma [now Myanmar], Rifleman Lachhiman Gurung was manning the most forward post of his platoon which bore the brunt of an attack by at least 200 of the Japanese enemy. Twice he hurled back grenades which had fallen on his trench, but the third exploded in his right hand, blowing off his fingers, shattering his arm and severely wounding him in the face, body and right leg. His two comrades were also badly wounded but the rifleman, now alone and disregarding his wounds, loaded and fired his rifle with his left hand for four hours, calmly waiting for each attack which he met with fire at point blank range. His citation in the London Gazette ends with: ...Of the 87 enemy dead counted in the immediate vicinity of the Company locality, 31 lay in front of this Rifleman's section, the key to the whole position. Had the enemy succeeded in over-running and occupying Rifleman Lachhiman Gurung's trench, the whole of the reverse slope position would have been completely dominated and turned. This Rifleman, by his magnificent example, so inspired his comrades to resist the enemy to the last, that, although surrounded and cut off for three days and two nights, they held and smashed every attack. His outstanding gallantry and extreme devotion to duty, in the face of almost overwhelming odds, were the main factors in the defeat of the enemy.[1] He received his Victoria Cross from the Viceroy of India, Field Marshal Lord Wavell at the Red Fort in Delhi on 19 December 1945.[4][/quote] [quote][B]Bishnu Shrestha[/B] (Nepali: बिष्णु श्रेष्ठ, born 1975 in Parbat District, Nepal) is a retired Nepalese Gurkha soldier in the Indian Army and recipient of the Sena Medal for bravery,[1][2] and the Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak medal,[3][4] both awarded for his gallant conduct during an armed train robbery. On September 2, 2010, Bishnu Shrestha, a 35-year-old Gurkha soldier, was on his way to Gorakhpur from Nepal. He was travelling via the Maurya Express (Hatia-Gorakhpur) when between 15 and 40[5][6] armed robbers attacked the train near Chittaranjan, West Bengal and robbed the passengers of their valuables. Shrestha was fast asleep when the bandits reached him. Awakened, he was prepared to give up his valuables, but the 18-year-old girl next to him was grabbed by the robbers who intended to rape her. The girl called for help. He pulled out the large, curved kukri knife that all Gurkha soldiers carry and attacked the bandits. Shrestha told the Times of India, "I am a soldier and get paid to protect citizens of this country. I could not sit back and watch as passengers were looted. I pulled out my khukri and attacked the criminals. I succeeded in connecting with at least three of them. The blows were severe and they must have got themselves admitted to some hospital. By then, the criminals started fighting back. They fired a shot that missed me. At one point of time, the khukri fell from my hand and I was overpowered. They picked it up and used it on me." The Times of India continues, "After Shresta slumped to the ground, profusely bleeding from his wound, all fight went out from the other passengers. None of them dared to make eye contact with the criminals and did their bidding."[7] Six robbers were arrested and Rs 10,470 in cash, 33 mobile phones, 14 wrist watches and an ATM card were recovered, along with two pistols, live cartridges and daggers. [5] Shrestha's injuries to his left arm required two months of medical treatment, but recovered full use of his injured hand. When the intended rape victim's family offered him a large cash reward, he refused it with the following comment: "Fighting the enemy in battle is my duty as a soldier. Taking on the thugs on the train was my duty as a human being."[/quote] [del]Gurkha soldiers also live by a code of honour that dictates that if they ever draw their blades, the blades must draw blood before they sheathe them again - either that of an enemy or their own. Ghurkas in the Indian Army and the UK Armed Forces, therefore, will cut themselves across the palm if for any reason they draw their blade without need[/del] Upon being corrected and doing further research, it seems that this is false. Some Ghurkas in the military have been known to practice this anyway, but most likely in a show of machismo, a demonstration of their toughness.

[QUOTE=archangel125;51061777]Holy fuck. All of these guys are total badasses. Gurkha soldiers also live by a code of honour that dictates that if they ever draw their blades, the blades must draw blood before they sheathe them again - either that of an enemy or their own. Ghurkas in the Indian Army and the UK Armed Forces, therefore, will cut themselves across the palm if for any reason they draw their blade without need.[/QUOTE] This is alas an urban legend; the kukri after all finds many uses apart from being a weapon. It's essentially their version of a machete. There's no need to cheapen their already incredible fighting spirit by perpetuating such myths.

[QUOTE=archangel125;51061777] [del]Gurkha soldiers also live by a code of honour that dictates that if they ever draw their blades, the blades must draw blood before they sheathe them again - either that of an enemy or their own. Ghurkas in the Indian Army and the UK Armed Forces, therefore, will cut themselves across the palm if for any reason they draw their blade without need[/del] [/QUOTE] You're thinking of Sikhs, with the Kirpan knife