Hundreds of men apply to join the British army
utside a recruiting centre
in Pokhara,
It was over a 180 years ago that the
British army decided it couldn't defeat these men in battle and so started to
recruit them instead. The Gurkha Regiment is one of
the most decorated in the British army and one of its most valuable
assets. But the unquestioning loyalty and devotion of the British Gurkha can no longer be taken for granted. As so
often in relations between wealthier countries and the developing world, even
here there have been allegations of exploitation.
Protest
Demonstrations by angry Gurkha
veterans have become commonplace in the Nepali capital
But, encouraged by the way British tabloid
newspapers have taken up their cause, the Gurkha
veterans' organisation want more. Free
education and guaranteed jobs for their children, right of abode in the