The long-awaited tripartite talks for equal pension and benefits for retired Gurkha soldiers ended inconclusively in London on Thursday.

Gyan Chandra Acharya, Nepal’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, was leading the Nepali delegation in the talks on behalf of the government of Nepal while Andrew Murrison, who was recently appointed as Minister for Defense People by Prime Minister of UK, Rishi Sunak, was leading the UK side, according to the leaders of the agitating Gurkha veterans.

Ambassador Acharya tabled the agenda for talks based on recommendations jointly made by the embassy in London, the Gurkha community and the British government, Krishna Ruchhenbung Rai, who is leading the campaign for justice and equality for Gurkha veterans, told the Post over the phone from London. “But the British side refused to touch the issue saying that the UK government has just been formed and the minister is new and learning.”

Hence there could be no agreement and the talks ended inconclusively, Rai said, adding that while the three parties have agreed to sit again, no date was fixed.

The British side said since there was a new government in London, it would need some more time to look into the issues raised by ex-Gurkhas.

In 2018, the Nepali Embassy in London, representatives of the Gurkha community and the British government prepared a tripartite report and the outline for talks in order to settle the issue permanently. Thursday’s talks marked the first tripartite talks since the joint report was prepared.

Major Judbahadur Gurung, Dhan Bahadur Gurung and Pushpa Rana Ghale represented the Gurkha veterans. A large number of ex-Gurkhas, their family members and relatives had gathered in front of the ministry when the talks were being held inside the Defense Ministry.

The Nepali side clearly tabled the agenda during the meeting, held only for an hour on Thursday, said one Gurkha veteran. “It’s a good start but the next round of talks should not be delayed for long.”

The British government—which had earlier dismissed ex-Gurkhas’ claim seeking equal pension and pay for those who had retired or had been made redundant by the British Army before 2006—has been saying that it will now only reconsider the demands on welfare and medical benefits.

This time again the British side insisted on more welfare schemes for the Gurkha veterans, instead of increasing pension and perks at par with the British nationals, added Rai.

Seeking equal pay, pension and perks as provided to the British nationals, three Gurkha veterans staged a hunger strike in August last year. After the strike, the British side agreed to sit for talks.

But the tripartite talks were delayed due to frequent political changes in the United Kingdom. The 1947 tripartite agreement between Nepal, British and Indian governments had clearly outlined equal pay, pension and perks for Nepali youths in the Indian and British armies.

The agreement had also paved the way for the distribution between India and Britain of existing Gurkha brigades serving in British India. Thus, the 2nd, 6th, 7th and 10th units of Gurkha Rifles became part of the British Army, while the remaining brigades were retained by an independent India.

The tripartite pact assures that all perks, remuneration, benefits and pension schemes for Nepalis serving in the British and Indian armies will be equal to those of British and Indian nationals. However, Gurkha veterans have long accused Britain of pursuing discriminatory policies on remuneration.

On March 20, 2017, the British government had agreed to form a panel to study the demands of retired Gurkha army personnel, including on pension. The panel submitted its report to the governments of Nepal and Britain on March 22, 2018.

The report suggested that both governments form a committee for dialogue between Nepal and the British governments to address the demands of the British Gurkha veterans for equal pension.

Apart from equal pension rights, the Gurkha veterans have also been demanding equal pay and perks, free healthcare and equal compensations, residency for family members of Gurkha soldiers and equal pension for the widows of Gurkha soldiers who died during service.

Although the Gurkhas who retired after 2007 are getting pension and other perks on par with their British counterparts, the problem is with regard to the more than 8,000 Gurkhas who retired before 2007. The disparity and difference is more than 300 percent, according to Gurkha Satyagraha United Struggle Committee, which is leading the campaign.

As things stand, the British side has time and again communicated to the Nepali authorities that giving equal perks and pension to former Gurkha soldiers would add a huge financial burden on the British government.

According to the Gurkha Satyagraha United Struggle Committee, more than 25,000 pensioners who retired before July 1, 2007 were deprived of equal pension. But that number has since come down to around 8,000 as others have died.

In March 2019, the British government had announced an increase in pension by up to 34 percent for the Brigade of Gurkha servicemen who had joined before 2007. However, that decision was rejected by the Gurkha veterans, who called it a “piecemeal approach” that was not on par with the British nationals.

On Wednesday, Gurung, who is also a member of the talks team as well as the spokesperson for the Gurkha negotiators, had issued a statement saying the G2G table talks is a historic first where the two governments and Gurkha veterans’ representatives will be sitting together at ministerial level to ensure that they finally resolve these genuine grievances of all Gurkhas once and for all.

“On the issue of pension, the Gurkhas who had joined the British Army between January 1, 1948 and October 1, 1993 are the ones concerned. Those who joined from 1 October, 1993 are on the same terms and conditions as their counterparts in the British Army,” the statement said.