Stabbed in the back Gurkha - a moving video report

Hope it is OK to post this here as this is an issue I feel strongly about. But if a problem then MODs please remove...

A very moving video report by the Guardian's Audrey Gillan about Falklands veteran Lance Corporal Rai and other Gurkha's still fighting for the right to live in the UK.


Video: The Gurkha veterans' last stand | World news | guardian.co.uk

Full story here:

Nepal: Gurkha veterans' toughest battle - for the right to live in Britain | UK news | The Guardian

Gyanendra Rai gazes at the smoke as it curls upwards from the funeral pyre and thins out over the rooftops of Pashuputi Nath, the world's most sacred Hindu temple.

Rai thought of this place when artillery shrapnel chewed into the side of his back and right shoulder while he was fighting for the British army in the Falkland Islands: he imagined his body lying there on the cremation ghat.

On June 11 1982, Lance Corporal Rai - a drummer with the 1st Battalion, 7th Gurkha Rifles - almost lost his life during the final assault on Port Stanley. Seriously injured, he received five pints of blood donated by British soldiers, and the skin that was grafted upon the cavernous hole in his back was taken from one of his fallen comrades...

 

Psywar.org
I couldn't agree more as this and past governments do the strangest things at times - here are veterans - and real heroes for all things British - but not allowed to settle

-but rag tag illegal and legal immigrants walk into Britain and are treated like heroes - at an annual cost to the British taxpayer of some 1.5 BILLION GBP plus using up all the health facilities !

This isn't new..... when we returned to the UK in 1971 we were treated like hostiles - one said to me - " Why did you come back ? " He was really resentful !

At the same time the Ugandan Indians were flooding the country and were being met by civll servants waving cheque books - driving them to the best Hotels around Heathrow - building societies were offering 100% mortgages etc. Even Prince Charles was sucked in - thought they were marvellous for settling down so well - they should - they had been sending their money in payment of dummy invoices to their cousins in the U.k. - which was banked until they got into the U.K. !!!!

On settling down - I applied for a Mortgage to be told that they couldn't accept earnings in Canada so would have to get a job and wait three years to establish credibility.

Next stop was to the professional and executive section of the local labour exchange - and after ten minutes in an interview realised that the interviewer hadn't the slightest idea of what to do and so I took over and after an hour he finally admitted that I had both the education and experience to do a managerial task
......BUT at 47 no one would want me !!!

Finally got a job with an engineering firm in Poole with managers who had no idea of management and so went quiet and got the three years probation for mortgage - at a time of 12% interest - quit and started my own business in competition with them ....retired and returned to Canada !

Now my British OAP is 35% lower than the British in Germany - Italy and Japan - - just because I live in Canada .....so Johnny Ghurka - join the club - and GOOD LUCK
Cheers!

 

Thanks for the support Tom. I also feel it is scandalous that those who decide to retire to a foreign country have their state pensions frozen. If you've paid into it all your life it shouldn't matter where you decide to live. Of course you Government doesn't like the money being spent abroad because they can't recoup a lot of it through indirect taxation.

 

Aye good luck to them.....I worked with a few in Kosovo in 2001, nice lot of lads and after all if they serve Queen and Country then that should be a right of passage to having citizenship. What more could you ask of anyone? I understand the reasons for not paying them as much money as a British Soldier (Not that that's enough anyway) but they should be able to stay indefinately if just on a Visa and not full citizenship.

Slightly off topic- Tom, speaking from first hand experience working with Immigration Officers and immigrants coming into the country they don't get that good a deal here and certainly illegals don't matey. I admit the system is a mess and needs to be dramatically sorted including closing the door some what. But its not as rosie for them as the media make it out to be.

 

Drew -
then if it'd not that rosie for illegals - why should it cost 1.5 Billion to look after then - why do they stay ?

it would only cost 400 millions to shut us up - we paid into it - surely we are entitiled to our full amount ?

and why does Gordon Brown tell us that he would have to raise that money from present taxpayers when the fund is in surplus by some 10 BILLION ??? - and that is according to his own Auditor........?
Cheers

 

Hi Tom,

I don't know or care really where you get your figures from at the end of the day its just figures and I'm sure there is far more filtered away needlessly in similiar areas like in benefits where 'British citizens' con the system. The arguement could go on forever and the thread is about the Gurkhas and the raw deal they get.

But to answer your question of why do they stay? I would hazard a guess its something to do with Great Britain ain't really that bad a place to live, work, raise and educate a family. Far far better than the majority of countries where immigrants come from.

I don't blame immigrants for wanting a better life for themselves or their families. After all if it was me I would probably do the same thing. I believe you did too Tom and left the UK for Canada?

ps We don't look after illegal immigrants, the reason why they are illegal is because they have not declared themselves 'asylum seekers' to Immigration at a point of entry into the UK and get no government assistance due to them not being 'officially' in the UK.

They are normally exploited by gang masters making the males work for next to nothing in the Agricultural Industry or get involved in the drugs market, the list goes on Tom, even worse for some females that end up being pimped on the streets of cities like London, Manchester, Glasgow.

Another little know fact which I think is crazy anyone coming into the UK and claiming Asylum is not allowed to work for their first 12 months of residence in the UK. Which makes it impossible to be legally self sufficient. If they get caught working their claim for asylum fails.

In the main 'Asylum seekers' get a pretty crap deal in my opinion, minimum benefits housed in a run down deprived area subjected to verbal and physical rascisim on a regular basis yet they stay in hope for a better life than what their mother country has to offer.

I'm just thankful my mother country is Great Britain and not Rwanda, Seirra Leone, Iraq, Iran, Kosovo, Bosnia, Zimbabwe, Afhganistan, Sudan, China, Somalia etc etc etc.

I'm no fan of Mr Brown or his government but on the whole if we look a bit further than the English Channel it doesn't take long before we can see it ain't actually that bad here. Could it be better? Hell yes, but remember it could always be a hell of a lot worse too. If it was so bad in the UK people wouldn't want to come and live here.

As for the Gurkha's they want to stay just like all the rest and I tend to think they have a bit more of a case than most.

 

DRew - I certainly agree that the Ghurka's have a better case than most - and my figures come directly from the Auditor - General - I also agree that I left to have a better life as I was fed up waiting for someone to die before I could move on - also agree that life in the U.K. is far better than the mud huts of darkest Africa as I have seen some of those - BUT - and it's big but - you are in great danger if you think it will continue - they will swamp you as too many British are retiring overseas- and leaving the door open for these people who do not have the same concern about Britain whereas the Ghurka's do.....
Cheers

 

I'm planning on retiring in France Tom so they won't be swamping me

 

Drew - exactly what I mean .......too many British jumping ship..the Dordogne is nice !
Cheers

 

The solicitors representing 2,000 Gurkhas issued this press release today:

PRESS RELEASE
16 September 2008
STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF BRITISH ARMY GURKHA
VETERANS IN HIGH COURT CHALLENGE TO HOME SECRETARY

I am Martin Howe, the solicitor acting for 2000 British Army Gurkhas who
have been denied a right of settlement in the United Kingdom by British Visa
Officials in Kathmandu and Hong Kong.

Today, at the commencement of this historic test case, the Gurkhas have asked
me to issue the following statement: -

For nearly 200 years, the Gurkhas have served the British people with heroism
and unflinching loyalty. Many of their grandfathers, fathers, brothers and
cousins have literally laid down their lives defending Britain. Currently their
grandsons, sons and nephews risk their lives defending British freedoms in Iraq
and Afghanistan. At no point have the Gurkhas ever deserted Britain’s call for
help and assistance, and during this country’s darkest hours the Gurkhas stood
shoulder to shoulder with us as our most “faithful and loyal friends”.
They are the ‘bravest of the brave’ and their Regimental Motto is: ‘better to die
than to live a coward’. Almost 50,000 have died fighting for Britain. 150,000
have been seriously injured. If you were to observe a minute’s silence for every
Gurkha killed or wounded in World War II you would have to remain silent for
2 weeks.

The veterans who bring the challenge today have sought to live in Britain
because they love this country; its values; and its people. Many of the men are
decorated war heroes, and all have “exemplary” military service records. The
men include Lance Corporal Gyanendra Rai, who was savagely wounded by
Argentinean shelling during the battle for Bluff Cove and, but for the brilliance
of an army medical team and six pints of blood, he would have died in battle
for Britain.

Our Visa Officials and the Home Secretary say that these retired Gurkha
soldiers do not have “strong ties” to the United Kingdom.

All other foreign soldiers in the army (eg Irish, Fijian, Caribbean, South
African) have a right to settle in Britain after 4 years of service anywhere in
the world. Not the Gurkhas. In 2004 the rules were changed to put Gurkhas
who retire after July 1997 on the same footing as other foreign soldiers. Those
who retired prior to July 1997 continue to be discriminated against and to be
the subject of less favourable treatment than other foreign soldiers. It is the
Government’s discriminatory policy which is under challenge today.

On behalf of our heroic veterans, I call on the Prime Minister to remove the
stain of national shame and treat our old servicemen and war heroes from the
mountains of Nepal in the same way as he treats other equally deserving
foreign veteran soldiers. Gurkhas occupy a special place in the heart of this
great nation and the denigration and humiliation of these brave men is
offensive to the people of Britain and can have no moral justification. The time
to act is now. 7 Gurkhas have died waiting for their court case to be heard.
Many more men in the twilight of their lives will die in poverty and of illness,
without access to proper medical treatment in the UK unless our Government
acts now.

The Gurkhas stood by Britain in this country’s hour of need; fighting alongside
our troops against nearly every enemy who would do harm to the life of this
country. The Gurkhas have given so much for Britain; many laying down their
lives for our freedoms. Yet the brave mountain men of Nepal have asked for so
little in return. I ask the British Government to step-in and stop defending this
immoral discrimination of our Gurkha veterans. I implore the Prime Minister
to stand by the old Gurkhas, now, in their hour of need.

Mr Martin Howe
Howe & Co
Craven House
40 Uxbridge Road
Ealing
London W5 2BS

 

PSYWAR -
That certainly puts the case very strongly - but we are not dealing with honest men in Governments to-day - they not only stab the Ghurka's in the back but each other - the Prime Minister will be on his own shortly if he continues to fire his assailants...
cheers

 

Cheers, If you don't mind I'd like to post it on my biking site-there's a lot of ex squaddies on there that would be interested by this.

Thanks in advance,
Andy

 

Tom, I do agree the present Government sure doesn't have any sense of honour and the treatment of the British armed forces while sending them off to fight two or more wars is just treasonous to my mind.

The Government did, however, back down in the case of Tul Bahadur Pun VC so public pressure and media interest, backed up with legal representation can work.

Andy please do pass on the press release far and wide and please include the link to the YouTube film here:

YouTube - Gurkha veterans' toughest battle

Lee
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PsyWar -
of course they will back down with lots of pressure as they all operate not on intelligence for what is right but what are the polls saying about keeping them in their cushy jobs..besides - they just couldn't ignore a V.C. - it's the poor buggars who gave their all at places like the horrors of Cassino - Keren Heights - Wadi Akirit - who need the help to-day.

The whole of the U.K. should be shouting for this and not for some bearded wallah who has done nothing for the U.K.

 

The court decides on Tuesday the fate of the pre-1997 Gurkhas.

Howe & Co Solicitors say that if any local WW2Talk members would like to attend the Tuesday gathering outside the Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand, London, please feel free to do so. They are meeting outside the law courts at 1 p.m. Two VC's and Joanna Lumley will be there.

Fingers crossed it will be a historic celebration. Just wish I could be there myself!


PRESS RELEASE
JUDGMENT IN
GURKHA IMMIGRATION TEST CASE

ROYAL COURTS OF JUSTICE (HIGH COURT)
1.30 PM, TUESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER 2008
Mr Justice Blake will hand down his judgment in the Gurkha immigration test case at 2. pm. on. Tuesday. 30th. September. 2008. Hundreds of Gurkhas, including 2 Gurkha Victoria Cross winners, Honorary Lieutenant Tul Bahadur Pun VC (87) and Honorary Sergeant Lachhiman Gurung VC (91), along with the world famous actress, Joanna Lumley (62) (whose father Major James Lumley fought with the Gurkhas in Burma in World War II), will gather outside the High Court (at the front entrance of the Royal Courts of Justice, the Strand, London WC2A 2LL) from 1:30 pm, in order to await the court’s decision.

The test case was brought by London-based human rights lawyers, Howe & Co Solicitors, on behalf of 2,000 Gurkhas who retired prior to 1 July 1997 (the date that the Brigade of Gurkhas moved its base from Hong Kong to the UK). The 2,000 Gurkhas were represented by 5 lead Gurkha Claimants (including a wounded Falklands veteran, Lance Corporal Gyanendra Rai (52) [non-copyrighted pictures at vchero.co.uk - Gurkha Campaign ] and a Gulf War 1 veteran, Rifleman Birendra Man Shrestha (46)) along with 1 Gurkha widow. All the Gurkhas had applied to come to settle in UK, but were refused entry to the Britain by British Entry Clearance Officers (ECOs) at the British Embassy in Kathmandu and the British High Commissions in Hong Kong and Macau. The ECOs had stated that the retired Gurkhas, who had applied to settle in the Britain, did not have “strong ties to the UK”, despite their years of loyal service to the British Crown, which included service in combat and sustaining serious war wounds (as in the case of Gurkha-Claimant, Lance Corporal Rai). The same British ECOs had refused Hon Lt Pun VC entry to the UK last year, on the same ground that he (a man who won the Victoria Cross in Burma in 1944) also did not have “strong ties to the UK” (that decision was overturned in June 2007 following an enormous public outcry, including a plea by Joanna Lumley, to the then Home Secretary, John Reid).

Following a 2 day hearing on 16th and 17th September 2008, when the 6 Claimants (5 Gurkhas and 1 Gurkha widow) challenged the legality of the Home Secretary’s discretionary policy applying to Gurkhas who retired prior to 1997, the High Court (Mr Justice Blake) will hand down its decision in the test case at 2 pm on Tuesday 30th September (details of the court room number will be available from the Administrative Court Office, the Royal Courts of Justice, on the afternoon of Monday 29 September 2008: Telephone 020 7947 6000 and quote case number: Deo Prakash Limbu and others -CO/6373/2008) .

In a statement anticipating the forthcoming legal judgment, the solicitor for the Gurkhas, Martin Howe, of Howe & Co in Ealing, stated:

“The decision to be handed down by the High Court on Tuesday afternoon will be historic; the culmination of a hard fought 2 year legal battle seeking justice for some 2,000 Gurkhas whose only fault was to retire prior to 1st July 1997, despite having served Britain with unstinting loyally, bravery and gallantry during all conflicts involving British Forces. Sadly, 7 Gurkhas have died awaiting the final outcome of this case, and for them the hope of justice has come too late. sincerely hope that the court’s judgment will strike down the Government’s policy barring from Britain a class of loyal Gurkhas who stood by this country and risked their lives and limbs for the freedoms and values that we all enjoy. If the judge decides this case in our favour, it will quite literally rescue hundreds and possibly thousands of Gurkhas from abject poverty and suffering due to a lack of adequate medical treatment back in Nepal. If we lose this case, then I am sorry to say that more Gurkhas will die never having had the chance to live in the country they fought for and defended. At some point, regardless of the result of this case, the Government should stop defending this immoral policy towards pre-1997 retired Gurkhas; the Government must stop fighting the very men who fought for us. Gordon Brown could have ended this stain on Britain’s reputation much earlier, instead of forcing the Gurkhas to seek redress in our courts. It is a sad fact, now, that more Gurkhas have died because of our Government’s immoral Gurkha immigration policy than have been killed by the Taliban in Afghanistan.”

Once the High Court hands down its ruling at 2 pm on Tuesday 30th September 2008, the Gurkhas’ Legal Team will give a statement to the press and media outside the front entrance of the Royal Courts of Justice. Joanna Lumley will also be available to give her views, outside the High Court, when the Gurkha judgment becomes known.

Further Information
1. Pictures and background: vchero.co.uk - Gurkha Campaign

2. Tul Bahadur Pun VC, Victoria Cross citation November 1944:

Gazette Website: PDF Navigator

3. Lachhiman Gurung VC, Victoria Cross citation July 1945:

Gazette Website: PDF Navigator

4. Howe & Co Solicitors: Howe & Co - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

PSY.War
We can only hope and pray that the justice will be an open minded man who can see the fairness of the suit and come down accordingly on the side of the Ghurka's - they deserve all they can ask for.....

 

Tom,

We can only hope but can't say I'm too optimistic the judge will do the right and honourable thing.

Lee

 

NO NO NO.... The Gurkha's are mercenaries, and this is not the only country they served in.
For those that have fought for us NOW? OK, For they can already live here.

What they are asking for, is that any of them, that served anywhere for the UK can come to Britain. That is half of Nepal. And with their dependents that amounts to a huge population.
For they want any one that EVER served..... With their families to come here.
In the mean time,the British homeless has gone up by a third.
NO...NO way.
WE are already overrun by foreigners to such a degree that it is difficult to hear English spoken in some of our cities.
OK if you are prepared to house many tens of thousands of Nepalese,Remember it is the right to live here for any man that ever served ...EVER!
That is a staggering number with their families.
NO
Sapper