Gorkha solders in the Indian Army

By Kuber Kathmandu, 28 November: Recent media reports suggest that India is preparing to deploy a large number of Gorkha troops to the disputed area between India and China. Such deployments call to mind the 1962 Sino-Indian border conflict, in which Gorkha soldiers were involved in the fighting against China and consequently suffered heavy casualties. Nepal should be wary of India's attempt to lay such a "Gorkha trap" again. Regarding the issue of recruiting Gurkha/Gorkha soldiers from Nepal, a 1947 Agreement was signed between England, India, and Nepal. However, the recent launch of India's Agnipath program attempts to change recruitment terms unilaterally, without consulting or even informing Nepal. This blatantly violates the trilateral agreement, undermines the interests of Gorkha soldiers, and demonstrates contempt and arrogance toward Nepal. But we would be remiss if we only see the loss in economic benefits. Experts have pointed out that there are multiple geopolitical attempts behind India's recruitment and use of Gorkha soldiers. It could undermine Nepal’s relations with other friendly countries and represent India’s goal to intervene in Nepal's domestic politics. For a long time, India has stick to an expansionist policy along its border, provoking and inciting border conflict with its neighbor countries. Pushing Gorkha troops to the front lines of the confrontation between India and its neighbor now amounts to having Nepalis bear the risk of conflict and serve as cheap cannon fodder. Gorkha soldiers will not only face the powerful firepower of foreign armies but also suffer from the vulnerability in their legal status - the lawful combatant status of Gurkha soldiers will not be recognized by the international conventions. This means that Gorkha soldiers if captured, may not be recognized as prisoners of war and, therefore, may even suffer more severe consequences. This is certainly not a concern on the Indian side. The battlefield losses of the Nepalese would not bring pressure on Indian public opinion at home. On the contrary, it would attach a low political cost to India for foreign ventures and risk-taking. More importantly, the involvement of Gorkha soldiers in the conflict between India and its neighbors, their heavy casualties, and their possible non-recognition as lawful combatants would inevitably put Nepal in a difficult and dangerous position. Nepal is a peace-loving country. At the same time, Nepal itself is a victim of border disputes – India has been trying to seize the Kalapani region from Nepal. It would not serve our interest to be involved in the conflict between India and its neighbors and sacrifice the lives of our nationals to serve as India’s cat's-paw. Our Gorkha soldiers work for India as a “livelihood,” but it is a livelihood that carries too much risk for so few benefits. It is not a long-term solution. Nepal should perhaps participate more actively in cooperative initiatives raised by nations in the region, accelerate its inclusion into the regional economic integration and network of connectivity, and fully utilize its potential in terms of positioning, human resource and ecological environment so that the country can embark on a healthier and more promising path. The writer is an independent observer