A British member of parliament demanded parity Thursday for retired British army Gurkhas in Nepal, some of who are forced to live in poverty, he claimed, because their pensions are linked to Indian army rates.
Labour Party representative Lindsay Hoyle said that the 25,500 ex-Gurkhas concerned received pensions from the British army ranging from "a meagre" 300 pounds (436 dollars, 479 euros) to 1,600 pounds a year depending on rank and length of service.
"But even worse than that," he said, "some of them have to travel for days on end from remote areas to pick up their pensions from a central point."
Hoyle said he knew of one case where one old soldier had to be carried by his sons on a three-day journey to pick up his pension.
Under an agreement dating from 1947, the pay of Nepalese Gurkhas is linked to rates in the Indian army rather than the British army -- meaning the Gurkhas receive much less than their British counterparts.
Hoyle said that Gurkhas' pensions should be increased so that parity was achieved.
The long-standing controversy was highlighted last year when two Gurkhas, Sergeant Balaram Rai and Lieutenant Gareth Evans, were killed during a mine-clearing operation in Kosovo.
Hoyle said that Gurkha soldiers had served alongside British servicemen with skill and bravery.
"I have called on the Ministry of Defence to end their pitiful plight and to ensure they do not have to endure their present privations any longer," he said.
Nepal has urged London to consider paying 10,000 pounds compensation to the British Gurkha prisoners of war who were held in Japan during World War II. |
