Tripartite talks featuring the government of Nepal, agitating Gurkha veterans and the British government were held in London on Wednesday where all three sides agreed to conclude their negotiations on the several demands of the ex-Gurkhas by September.

Until September, there will be more thematic talks between the three sides on issues that include equal pension to the Gurkhas on par with the British nationals and matters related to their welfare, the Gurkha veterans said.

"By September, we have agreed to hold decisive talks in order to conclude our demands," Krishna Bahadur Rai, chief coordinator of the British Gurkha Satyagraha Joint Committee, told the Post over phone from London, ahead of the decisive talks. "We will conduct thematic meetings of pension, welfare and others."

Nepali Ambassador to the United Kingdom Gyan Chandra Acharya and Joint-secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dilip Poudel had led the talks on behalf of the government of Nepal.

Minister for Defence People, Veterans and Service Families Andrew Murrison led the British delegation and three ex-Gurkha veterans, including Rai, represented the ex-Gurkha community.

The first meeting was held on November 3, 2022. The meeting assessed the progress made at the first meeting and at the technical level on pension and welfare facilities, the Nepali Embassy in London said in a statement.

The issues discussed earlier in the technical committee will be re-discussed before the September meeting, it added. Ambassador Acharya had requested Murrison to find a long-term solution to the discrimination being faced by the Gurkhas on the basis of the historic ties between Nepal and the United Kingdom.

Joint-secretary Poudel had forwarded the position of the government of Nepal. Juddha Bahadur Gurung, an ex-Gurkha veteran, said they had highlighted the issues to be addressed by the government of the United Kingdom.

Rai said that the UK is positive about the welfare package, including medical treatment and funeral for Gorkha veterans in the UK and Nepal.

“We also clearly told the British side that we are not mercenaries. We were recruited as per the tripartite agreement of 1947. And, as per the agreement, we are looking for equal pensions and facilities. We are not demanding anything more than what the tripartite treaty says," said Rai, who also chairs the British Gurkha Satyagraha Joint Committee.

Nepali officials and agitating Gurkha veterans said that the British government is only focusing on providing or adding more facilities under the welfare scheme but is not giving priority to a pension that's equal to the British nationals.

Earlier, in the first week of this month, the agitating British Gurkha ex-servicemen submitted a memorandum to the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak requesting not to exclude their pension issues during the talks between Nepal and the British governments where representatives of the agitating ex-Gurkhas were also to take part.

All ex-British Gurkhas who joined the British Army between January 1 and September 30, 1993, have been campaigning, demanding justice and equality for the past 30 years, based on the British and human rights laws.
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.

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

The agreement also paved the way for the distribution between India and Britain of the 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.

After Nepali officials, including the ambassadors and representatives from the Gurkha community, became adamant on the pension issue, the British side finally agreed to include the matter in their talks, said another Gurkha veteran, Gyan Raj Rai. Rai, who had earlier staged a hunger strike in London, said that he was again going to sit in protest, if the British side only focuses on welfare issues.

“It is agreed that at least two meetings will be convened every month ahead of September. We have over one dozen issues and agendas to resolve. By September, we need to sort out these issues but on the issue of welfare, there was adequate discussion. The crucial issue is pension,” said Rai.

On March 20, 2017, the British government had agreed to form a panel to study the demands of retired Gurkha army personnel, including their 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 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 concerns those who retired before 2007.

The disparity is more than 300 percent, according to Gurkha Satyagraha United Struggle Committee, which leads the campaign. As matters 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 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” and still discriminatory.