MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Gurkha veterans fighting for better treatment from UK government

Jubilant former Gurkhas living in Swindon, some of them Falklands veterans have welcomed the surprise news that their former colleagues could be given equal right of residence to live in the United Kingdom. Mahendra Rai, from Liden, who saw action in the Falkland Islands with the 7th Gurkha Rifles including the bitter battle at Goose Green, was among the veterans at Westminster on Tuesday who witnessed the Government’s defeat on the issue in the House of Commons.

Some 27 Labour rebels joined opposition parties to vote for a Liberal Democrat motion to give all Gurkhas who have served in the British armed forces equal rights of residence.

Although the motion was not binding on the Government, the 21-vote defeat came as a humiliating reverse for Prime Minister Gordon Brown and a dramatic boost for the troops from the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal, who have pursued their demand for the right to settle through the courts over several years.

“For a long time we had felt betrayed by the Government,” said Mahendra, who served in the Gurkhas for 15 years and came to England with his family three years ago.

“The Gurkhas fought for this country, we fought for the British people, and I felt proud to fight for Britain too. That is why we want equal rights. We were so surprised and delighted by this news”.

There are about 200 Nepalese living in Swindon, many of them families of ex-Gurkhas. Jagat Rai who lives in Park South with his wife and three children, now works as a security officer for a supermarket in the town.

Both he and Mr Mahendra managed to secure indefinite leave residency (ILR) visas to stay in the UK. After leaving the Gurkhas, Mr Rai worked as a security guard for the Sultan of Brunei, but he said he came to the UK and to Swindon in particular because he wanted to settle here with his family.

“Swindon is cheaper than London, it is more comfortable and it is a peaceful place to bring up a family,” he said. However, while British ex-servicemen are likely to collect a monthly pension in excess of £500, the Gurkhas receive just £136 – when both men left the British Army over a decade ago, the pension was £28.16.

“Even in Nepal where it is much cheaper, that would still not be enough,” explained Mr Rai.

“We just want equality. Those from Commonwealth countries who serve three to four years in the British Army get automatic residency, for the Gurkhas it has to be 15 years. It is discriminatory and I don’t know why.”

Both men said they were comforted by the support they had received from the British public.

The Home Office announced last week that strict criteria would be applied to settlement claims for ex-Gurkhas discharged before July 1997. Applicants are to be judged according to length of service, bravery medals and service-related medical conditions.

Campaigners argue this will allow only around 100 veterans out of a total 36,000 to settle, most of them officers. The Government has warned the UK could not afford the claimed £1.4 billion annual cost of an open-door policy. (Wiltshire.co.uk).-