Who are the Gurkhas? - BBC News BBC News Close share panel Image caption Gurkhas are part of the British Army Gurkhas have been part of the British Army for almost 200 years, but who are these fearsome Nepalese fighters? "Better to die than be a coward" is the motto of the world-famous Nepalese Gurkha soldiers who are an integral part of the British Army. They still carry into battle their traditional weapon - an 18-inch long curved knife known as the kukri. In times past, it was said that once a kukri was drawn in battle, it had to "taste blood" - if not, its owner had to cut himself before returning it to its sheath. Now, the Gurkhas say, it is used mainly for cooking. The potential of these warriors was first realised by the British at the height of their empire-building in the last century. The Victorians identified them as a "martial race", perceiving in them particularly masculine qualities of toughness.

Bravest of the brave, most generous of the generous, never had a country more faithful friends than you Sir Ralph Turner MC, 3rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles, 1931 After suffering heavy casualties in the invasion of Nepal, the British East India Company signed a hasty peace deal in 1815, which also allowed it to recruit from the ranks of the former enemy. Following the partition of India in 1947, an agreement between Nepal, India and Britain meant four Gurkha regiments from the Indian army were transferred to the British Army, eventually becoming the Gurkha Brigade. Since then, the Gurkhas have loyally fought for the British all over the world, receiving 13 Victoria Crosses between them. More than 200,000 fought in the two world wars, and in the past 50 years they have served in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Borneo, Cyprus, the Falklands, Kosovo and now in Iraq and Afghanistan. They serve in a variety of roles, mainly in the infantry but with significant numbers of engineers, logisticians and signals specialists.

The name "Gurkha" comes from the hill town of Gorkha from which the Nepalese kingdom had expanded. The ranks have always been dominated by four ethnic groups, the Gurungs and Magars from central Nepal, the Rais and Limbus from the east, who live in villages of impoverished hill farmers. They keep to their Nepalese customs and beliefs, and the brigade follows religious festivals such as Dashain, in which - in Nepal, not the UK - goats and buffaloes are sacrificed. Image caption Actress Joanna Lumley has been the public face of the campaign on behalf of the Gurkhas But their numbers have been sharply reduced from a World War II peak of 112,000 men, and now stand at about 3,500. During the two world wars 43,000 men lost their lives. The Gurkhas are now based at Shorncliffe near Folkestone, Kent - but they do not become British citizens. The soldiers are still selected from young men living in the hills of Nepal - with about 28,000 youths tackling the selection procedure for just over 200 places each year.

The selection process has been described as one of the toughest in the world and is fiercely contested. Young hopefuls have to run uphill for 40 minutes carrying a wicker basket on their back filled with rocks weighing 70lbs. They are tough, they are brave, they are durable, they are amenable to discipline. Tony Gould, Historian Prince Harry lived with a Gurkha battalion during his 10 weeks in Afghanistan. There is said to be a cultural affinity between Gurkhas and the Afghan people which is beneficial to the British Army effort there. Historian Tony Gould said Gurkhas have brought an excellent combination of qualities from a military point of view. He said: "They are tough, they are brave, they are durable, they are amenable to discipline. "They have another quality which you could say some British regiments had in the past, but it's doubtful that they have now, that is a strong family tradition.

"So that within each battalion there were usually very, very close family links, so when they were fighting, they were not so much fighting for their officers or the cause but for their friends and family." Historically, Gurkhas who had served their time in the Army - a maximum of 30 years, and a minimum of 15 to secure a pension - were discharged back to Nepal. Pension battle But last year, all retired Gurkhas won the right to live in the UK, following a high-profile campaign led by actress Joanna Lumley, whose father served with the 6th Gurkha Rifles. Gurkha veterans have also continued to fight for equal pensions with the soldiers they served alongside. In 2007, they won a partial victory when pension rules were changed to give serving Gurkha soldiers equal pension rights with other service personnel in the UK. But the British Gurkha Welfare Society said about 25,000 men who had retired before 1 July 1997 were denied the opportunity to transfer into UK armed forces pension schemes. It said the government had acted unlawfully by paying them a third of the income of UK-based soldiers, and vowed to fight on.

A High Court test case in January 2010 ruled in favour of the Ministry of Defence, which argued the pension cut-off date was "justified and proportionate". That decision has since been challenged by the Gurkhas, who have taken their battle to the Court of Appeal. Who are the Gurkhas? - BBC News BBC News Close share panel Image caption Gurkhas are part of the British Army Gurkhas have been part of the British Army for almost 200 years, but who are these fearsome Nepalese fighters? "Better to die than be a coward" is the motto of the world-famous Nepalese Gurkha soldiers who are an integral part of the British Army. They still carry into battle their traditional weapon - an 18-inch long curved knife known as the kukri. In times past, it was said that once a kukri was drawn in battle, it had to "taste blood" - if not, its owner had to cut himself before returning it to its sheath. Now, the Gurkhas say, it is used mainly for cooking. The potential of these warriors was first realised by the British at the height of their empire-building in the last century.

The Victorians identified them as a "martial race", perceiving in them particularly masculine qualities of toughness. Bravest of the brave, most generous of the generous, never had a country more faithful friends than you Sir Ralph Turner MC, 3rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles, 1931 After suffering heavy casualties in the invasion of Nepal, the British East India Company signed a hasty peace deal in 1815, which also allowed it to recruit from the ranks of the former enemy. Following the partition of India in 1947, an agreement between Nepal, India and Britain meant four Gurkha regiments from the Indian army were transferred to the British Army, eventually becoming the Gurkha Brigade. Since then, the Gurkhas have loyally fought for the British all over the world, receiving 13 Victoria Crosses between them. More than 200,000 fought in the two world wars, and in the past 50 years they have served in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Borneo, Cyprus, the Falklands, Kosovo and now in Iraq and Afghanistan.

They serve in a variety of roles, mainly in the infantry but with significant numbers of engineers, logisticians and signals specialists. The name "Gurkha" comes from the hill town of Gorkha from which the Nepalese kingdom had expanded. The ranks have always been dominated by four ethnic groups, the Gurungs and Magars from central Nepal, the Rais and Limbus from the east, who live in villages of impoverished hill farmers. They keep to their Nepalese customs and beliefs, and the brigade follows religious festivals such as Dashain, in which - in Nepal, not the UK - goats and buffaloes are sacrificed. Image caption Actress Joanna Lumley has been the public face of the campaign on behalf of the Gurkhas But their numbers have been sharply reduced from a World War II peak of 112,000 men, and now stand at about 3,500. During the two world wars 43,000 men lost their lives. The Gurkhas are now based at Shorncliffe near Folkestone, Kent - but they do not become British citizens.

The soldiers are still selected from young men living in the hills of Nepal - with about 28,000 youths tackling the selection procedure for just over 200 places each year. The selection process has been described as one of the toughest in the world and is fiercely contested. Young hopefuls have to run uphill for 40 minutes carrying a wicker basket on their back filled with rocks weighing 70lbs. They are tough, they are brave, they are durable, they are amenable to discipline. Tony Gould, Historian Prince Harry lived with a Gurkha battalion during his 10 weeks in Afghanistan. There is said to be a cultural affinity between Gurkhas and the Afghan people which is beneficial to the British Army effort there. Historian Tony Gould said Gurkhas have brought an excellent combination of qualities from a military point of view. He said: "They are tough, they are brave, they are durable, they are amenable to discipline. "They have another quality which you could say some British regiments had in the past, but it's doubtful that they have now, that is a strong family tradition.

"So that within each battalion there were usually very, very close family links, so when they were fighting, they were not so much fighting for their officers or the cause but for their friends and family." Historically, Gurkhas who had served their time in the Army - a maximum of 30 years, and a minimum of 15 to secure a pension - were discharged back to Nepal. Pension battle But last year, all retired Gurkhas won the right to live in the UK, following a high-profile campaign led by actress Joanna Lumley, whose father served with the 6th Gurkha Rifles. Gurkha veterans have also continued to fight for equal pensions with the soldiers they served alongside. In 2007, they won a partial victory when pension rules were changed to give serving Gurkha soldiers equal pension rights with other service personnel in the UK. But the British Gurkha Welfare Society said about 25,000 men who had retired before 1 July 1997 were denied the opportunity to transfer into UK armed forces pension schemes. It said the government had acted unlawfully by paying them a third of the income of UK-based soldiers, and vowed to fight on.

A High Court test case in January 2010 ruled in favour of the Ministry of Defence, which argued the pension cut-off date was "justified and proportionate". That decision has since been challenged by the Gurkhas, who have taken their battle to the Court of Appeal. The Gurkha Soldier (Tribute) - YouTube The Gurkha Soldier (Tribute) Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Apr 8, 2008 Tribute to the Gurkha Soldiers who have served in the British Army and who are still serving. - Jai Gorkhali About The Gurkhas: Gurkhas are human beings first then, soldiers and fighters . They are originally from Nepal; a small land-locked country that exists between the two giant nations, India and China. Nepal is the birth place of Buddha and the place where the highest peak in the world; Mount Everest (Sagarmatha) stands tall.

For more than 200 years Gurkhas have been a part of the British Army and they have fought many battles alongside the British. Over 45,000 Gurkhas laid their lives in the two world wars and are still fighting as part of the British Army. Show your support for the Gurkhas (This is the Gurkha Justice Campaign lead by Joanna Lumley) God bless her!! Thank you for the support! Category The race to be a Gurkha - Telegraph Defence The race to be a Gurkha Joining the Gurkhas brings rich rewards for young Nepalese, but first they must pass a gruelling physical challenge By Rob Blackhurst 7:00AM GMT 08 Mar 2014 It is just before dawn in the city of Pokhara in central Nepal. The canopy of stars, unspoilt by light pollution, is fading, and the shadows of some of the tallest mountains in the world are looming. But the scene is far from peaceful: lorries are already carrying goods to market, and teenagers on mopeds are weaving their way through the traffic, dodging the occasional cow, en route to work.

Off a quieter side street, behind iron gates, a group of young men are sitting in tense, cross-legged silence, waiting for the chance to be selected for the British Army. These men, aged between 17 and 21, are among the final 300 competing for 126 places in the Brigade of Gurkhas. Success will mean a Western salary and a pension for life, together with the right to settle in Britain. Their earnings, enormous by Nepalese standards, will allow their parents to retire and will secure the economic future of their families. Failure will see them return to their villages with only their reimbursed bus fares in their pockets. Some of them have travelled, day and night, for three days to be here. Before coming, many have been blessed by a Brahmin who daubed a red tilaka on their foreheads. Most have visited a barber and bought a new pair of trainers. One by one they are waiting to be processed, when they will be assigned a number and given an army regulation cup and plate to keep with them.

After their first introduction to a meagre variation of the English cooked breakfast – boiled egg, baked beans and unappetising luncheon meat – they will begin central selection. Team-building in Pokhara. Photo: KALPESH LATHIGRA Related Articles Army commander bans sandwiches 05 Mar 2014 Lt Col Elton Davis, who is the deputy commander of the British Gurkhas in Nepal, says, 'Our ethos is to be free, fair and transparent. Here, nobody really expects people to be free, fair or transparent. We hammer it home when we go out into the hills during the selection process. We are not selecting based on geography or caste.’ Recruitment is assisted by the Galla Wallahs – former servicemen employed to visit remote villages and spread the word about the possibilities of an army career. In previous decades, in a country with poor communications and transport, this face-to-face work was essential. But nowadays even remote villages have mobile phones and some exposure to the internet. Last year 90 per cent of applicants to the Gurkhas had visited the MoD website. This year there were 36 candidates registered for every available place – far more than for soldiers in the rest of the Army.

Most Gurkhas still come originally from the martial castes – the Gurungs, Magars, Rais and Limbus – that have supplied young soldiers for centuries. But the sons of these villagers now tend to live with relations in the main towns to complete their education at better schools. 'We used to send our ex-servicemen up to the hills to gather a few pied-piper candidates,’ Lt Col Davis says. 'But we no longer find the young boys in the hills there.’ The historical quirk of an army recruiting men from a different sovereign country is unique in Europe. Its origins lie in the Anglo-Nepal war of 1814-16, when the ferocity of the Gurkhas in battle so impressed the British East India Company that it offered to recruit them, forming the first Gurkha brigade. After Indian partition in 1947 the Gurkha regiments were divided up between the British Army and the new Indian army. The two countries agreed to link pay to 'local salaries’ in the places where they served – for the British Gurkhas Malaya and Hong Kong – which, though tax-free, were much lower than those in the UK.

After a series of legal challenges by former and serving Gurkhas that the MoD won, it was decided finally to equalise pay and conditions for all serving Gurkhas with those of other British soldiers in 2006. The gruelling doko race. Photo: KALPESH LATHIGRA Globalisation means that the Gurkha recruits of 2014 are a world away from those that the Army recruited in previous decades. In the 1980s the BBC made The Gurkhas, a documentary about the hill boys arriving at central selection, some of whom brought parcels of yak’s milk cheese. Those selected had to be taught to tie shoelaces and use a knife and fork. They would be taken to the nearby river to bathe in the icy meltwater from the Himalayas. And, singularly in the Army, a daily ration of rum was distributed because of the Nepalese belief that this would prevent mosquito bites. Today’s recruits need to be fitter and have more formal qualifications than their predecessors a generation ago. They are now not allowed to register unless they have a Standard School Leaving Certificate and a machine-readable passport to prove that they are a Nepalese citizen.

They have to be at least 158cm (5ft 2in) tall and have no more than four fillings, gaps or false teeth. Any ligament tears or old fitness injuries are scrutinised. A recent barrier that has seen some applicants rejected is laser eye surgery, which gives a greater risk of rupturing the eyeball if they are struck in the face. More testing are the requirements to be able to run 800m in two minutes 45 seconds, do 12 pull-ups and 70 sit-ups, and to face a final interview that is half in English and half in Nepali. If applicants fail, they are allowed to reapply until they reach the age limit of 21. 'We sometimes take people on their third or fourth attempt because they’ve shown a huge amount of dedication,’ Capt Richard Roberts, the deputy recruiting officer in Nepal, says. A painstaking task for the recruitment teams is verifying the candidates’ documents – forgeries are easily available in Nepal. It has been known for failed applicants to reapply under a false identity. 'But the Area Recruiting Officers are sharp on this and they recognise people,’ Capt Roberts says.

'I couldn’t say 100 per cent but 99.9 per cent.’ Although becoming a Gurkha remains a great source of family pride, it is no longer the only route out of Nepal for young men with ambition. In some villages almost all the young men have left – mainly for jobs in construction, tourism and security in the Middle East, Europe and Australia. It is estimated now that remittances from Nepalese working abroad contribute more than £2 billion a year to Nepal’s annual income – equivalent to a quarter of the country’s GDP. It is a chilly December morning and we are in a spectacular gorge in Pokhara. Next to us, a fast-flowing aquamarine river burbles as the recruits put 25kg bags of sand into their doko – a traditional wicker basket carried on their backs. This is the hardest physical challenge of Gurkha recruitment – perhaps anywhere in the British Army: a 5km uphill run that has to be completed in less than 48 minutes, an ascent of more than 400m through dusty and rocky trails.

On the starting line they are warned that they cannot push anyone else, and if they get any help from relations lining the course they will be disqualified. 'It’s a test of stamina, character and commitment,’ Col James Robinson, Colonel Brigade of Gurkhas, says. 'And it separates the men from the boys.’ Once they begin, all the preparation, the months of practice pounding these mountain tracks and the timed rehearsals, kicks in. As the candidates slog past farm shacks and old-fashioned hay mounds, the Nepalese Gurkha sergeant majors shout encouragement at them. There is a spectacular view of the Himalayas from the top of the course but these young men couldn’t be more oblivious. Many collapse exhausted over the finishing line. They are not told whether they have passed, but those who fail will be out of the selection process. 'There is such high pressure,’ Col Robinson says. 'People have invested a lot so we don’t want someone jumping off the gorge on the way back. If they fail something we tell them back at base the next morning, which gives them the opportunity to slide off.’ Recovering after the doko race.

Photo: KALPESH LATHIGRA Major Jonny Taffs is an Army education and training officer. He has come to Nepal for the first time to run the English tests. 'I’m completely impressed by the standard. We’re probably getting the top half of people in school. We ask, “What would you do if you failed?” and the vast majority would continue their studies. I may be generalising but I don’t see that same passion for education in the UK.’ The hardest challenge is the written test, which this year required candidates to write an essay on whether the British Army will always recruit Gurkhas. 'No one flunks outright,’ Major Taffs says. 'No one breaks pencils and walks out. Everyone bangs out almost two sides. And the quality of the handwriting for almost all of them is really good.’ The recruits take their listening exam in what looks like an English school gym. As their hands and pockets are checked for notes, tension is etched into their faces. They listen to a comprehension on changes to army boots throughout the ages. 'For many it’s the first time they’ve listened to a native speaker,’ Major Taffs says.

'They will be given orders in English in a stressful situation, and we need to make sure that even before they get to training they have the ability to tune in to that very quickly.’ Recruits invest a huge amount of time and money in becoming Gurkhas and family expectations are high, so failure can be crushing. 'There’s a lot of pressure on the oldest son to take over the mantle of the wage-earner,’ Major Taffs says. 'So this is like a golden ticket. We had to tell a guy this morning that he was unsuccessful – and he was in bits. It was his last chance. He had had three goes at selection. And he just didn’t want to go. Ready for the English comprehension test. Photo: KALPESH LATHIGRA 'You have the coin of their life within your hands. Heads, their lives change for ever, and tails, they go back home. But you have to remind yourself that even to get this far they are showing qualities that will make them successful. They are not going to go back and starve on the streets.’ Suraj Dhimal’s father is a driver.

He is a Gurkha candidate in the traditional mould – from a family in the hills who are ambitious to improve their lot. 'It is my father’s dream that his eldest son will be part of the Gurkhas,’ he says. 'And I can help my family too.’ When I ask what he knows about Britain, his face lights up. 'I’m a Manchester United fan and love Mr Wayne Rooney.’ It has been a sacrifice for his family to pay for Suraj for a year while he prepared for selection. 'I don’t think I’ll be able to try again next year because I don’t think my family can support me for the selection another time.’ This is his second attempt. 'I did some things wrong and wasn’t focused well last year. But I’ve now improved my English by looking at the BBC.’ (He doesn’t get in.) In contrast Satyam Niroua Chhetri, 18, speaks almost perfect English as a result of being brought up by two English teachers who encouraged him to read British newspapers, despite having never been abroad. Like many applicants, he has relations who have had military careers; his uncle is currently in the Nepalese army and his grandfather was in the Gurkhas.

If he doesn’t succeed he will return to his studies to get a degree in engineering science. He is living away from home for the first time, and that is what most potential recruits find the most difficult. (He does get in.) Satyam Niroua Chhetri, a successful candidate. Photo: KALPESH LATHIGRA At the end of the two-week selection process it is time for the 126 candidates with the highest score overall to be selected. Wearing their numbered red bibs, they file one by one in front of Capt Roberts to learn whether their year of training has paid off. It’s a brutal process. The successful go upstairs and are formally handed over to the Gurkhas. Within a few hours they will be issued with kit and measured for their mufti – civilian suits that they wear when they’re off base (giving them a universal reputation for being extremely smartly dressed). A fortnight later they will find themselves on a flight, usually the first of their lives, to Manchester. From there they will head to their training base in Catterick on the North Yorkshire moors, which they won’t leave for the first 10 weeks of training.

The base is notorious for its cold winds, exposed moorlands and deep winter snows. Because of training timetables, the Gurkhas are always there in January and February, the worst time of year. For Capt Rupert Anderson, their commanding officer, this is important given that the Gurkhas are trained in an infantry role. 'They’ve gone from glorious Pokhara with a lovely temperature, and they come here. But I also think it’s why Gurkhas are good soldiers, because they are learning in the wet, the cold, the wind.’ Some of the cultural differences are obvious. Feet that are used to flip-flops have to adjust to wearing army boots. Western lavatories have to be explained to those who have grown up with squat toilets. Pedestrian crossings and waiting for the green man have to be explained. As part of their education, they study Bram Stoker’s Dracula and visit the author’s home in Whitby. (One recruit last year, on the bus to Whitby, thought he was going to meet the real Dracula.) For many from land-locked Nepal, it is the first time that they have seen the sea.

Although they will have seen snow from a distance on the Himalayas, many of them will never have touched it or thrown a snowball. Capt Richard Roberts, the deputy recruiting officer. Photo: KALPESH LATHIGRA Catterick marks the beginning of the troops’ 12 contracted minimum years in the Army. During their training, like every other recruit, they will earn £900 per month. (Average earnings in Nepal are £150 per month.) Very few are married, but those who are will have to wait three years to bring their wives to Britain. For the Army the Gurkhas represent good value because of their 100 per cent retention rate. Every candidate completes his basic training in Catterick and all choose to serve a full 22-year contract. In the regular Army many leave after five years. Since 1997 all Gurkhas have been granted settlement rights in Britain with their families after they have served (famously championed by Joanna Lumley); hardly any return to Nepal. It is late January in North Yorkshire and the first time that the recruits have been out on exercise – or 'combat camping’, as it is known.

It is 6am, still dark, and the temperature is hovering around freezing. Here they are learning the basics of how to be an infantry soldier – how to apply their camouflage paint and conceal themselves, how to clean their SA-18 rifles and keep them within their sight at all times, and how to look out for symptoms of cold in each other. They sleep in shell-scrapes – shallow trenches dug into the sodden earth covered by thin plastic sheets. Surprisingly, they’ve managed to snatch six hours’ sleep in the cold night. They are now heating water using a hexi block, a kind of firelighter, to boil their maple syrup bun and omelette ration packs. They clean their teeth with the leftover boiled water. Their training officers conduct a foot inspection – as the Army has been doing since the Zulu wars. They sit in a huddle, take their boots off and apply foot powder. One recruit is struggling to find his in his backpack. 'Permission to use someone else’s foot powder, Sir?’ he asks in Nepali. 'No, get your own out,’ comes the reply. Next is toothbrush inspection.

They have all been told to clean their teeth in the morning – but there has been so much to do that some haven’t remembered. Their instructor calls them one by one with their toothbrush in front of them. He runs a single finger over the bristles to see if it has been used. Anyone with a completely dry brush is given 15 press-ups. 'Next time I will give you double,’ he says. Satyam Niroua Chhetri has never travelled before, but England isn’t too much of a shock because he had already Googled photos of Manchester airport and Catterick. With his first pay cheque, he is planning to buy a laptop and explore Britain when he is allowed off the base. Major Jonny Taffs, a training and education officer. Photo: KALPESH LATHIGRA The Gurkhas escaped abolition in the recent Government defence review (the costs of maintaining facilities in Nepal is a tempting target for MoD accountants) but was subject to deep cuts. In January the latest phase of cuts resulted in the redundancy of 350 Gurkhas.

By the end of the latest cuts the Gurkhas will have shrunk from 3,600 to about 2,600, with 1,000 redundancies. (According to Col Robinson, they have all found other work in Britain.) In addition to the heavy cuts faced by the rest of the service, the Gurkhas faced an additional problem because, when their conditions of service were brought into line with those of other soldiers in the British Army in 2007, they were able to serve for 22 years rather than the previous 15-year contract. Since few left before the 22 years, the brigade became overmanned – leading to even deeper cuts. For now, however, the lingering question mark over the ability of the Army to recruit enough good soldiers at home has safeguarded the regiment’s future, albeit in diminished form. As Nepal rises economically along with the rest of Asia, it may be the old martial code of honour, the desire to travel and the thirst for adventure that will keep thousands of Nepalese boys applying to join the Gurkhas each year. As Capt Anderson says, 'Their loyalty doesn’t come through money, they’re not mercenaries.

In the past joining the British Army was definitely the only way out of Nepal. That’s not true now.’ The Big Question: Who are the Gurkhas and what is their contribution to military history? | The Independent The Big Question: Who are the Gurkhas and what is their contribution to military history? Wednesday 29 April 2009 23:00 BST Click to follow The Independent Online Why are we asking this now? Because yesterday the Government was forced into a climb down over its refusal to allow all former Gurkha soldiers to settle in the UK after they had left the British Army. It had faced a Commons defeat over the restrictive policy it had introduced in response to a High Court ruling last year that Gurkhas who left the Army before 1997 – when the Gurkhas' base moved from Hong Kong to Kent – had an automatic right of residency in the United Kingdom. The changes it had announced earlier this week were hedged about with so many conditions that campaigners said only a few hundred veterans would ever qualify.

The Government had said that the changes would allow around 4,300 more former Gurkhas to settle here out of the 36,000 who served in the British Army before July 1997. But yesterday the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith pledged to carry out an immediate review of the policy. Where are the Gurkhas from? The 3,500 Gurkhas in the British Army all originate from the hill-town region of Gorkha, one of the 75 districts of modern Nepal. But their name comes not from the place but is said to derive from an 8th century Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath. Legend has it that it was he who gave the Gurkhas the famous curved bladed knife, the kukri. The Gurkhas are mainly impoverished hill farmers. How do they come to be in the British Army? Almost 200 years ago troops in support of the British East India Company invaded Nepal. They suffered heavy casualties at the hands of the Gurkhas and signed a hasty peace deal and offered to pay the Gurkhas to join their army.

A soldier of the 87th Foot wrote in his memoirs: "I never saw more steadiness or bravery exhibited in my life. Run they would not, and of death they seemed to have no fear, though their comrades were falling thick around them". Some 200,000 Gurkhas then fought in the British Army in the First and Second World Wars - in France, Flanders, Mesopotamia, Persia, Egypt, Gallipoli, Palestine, Salonika and in the desert with Lawrence of Arabia and then across Europe and the Far East in World War II. They have since served in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Borneo, Cyprus, the Falklands, Sierra Leone, East Timor, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. Do they serve only in British forces? No. After the partition of India in 1947, an agreement between Nepal, India and Britain transferred four Gurkha regiments from the British to the Indian army. Its Gorkha Brigade (it changed the spelling) now has 120,000 Gurkhas in forty-six battalions.

There are Gurkhas in the Malaysian army and the Singapore Police Force both bodies formed from ex-British Army Gurkhas. How tough are they? Around 28,000 Gurkha youths compete for just 200 places in the British Army each year. To qualify they must be able to do 75 bench jumps in one minute and 70 sit-ups in two minutes. Then they participate in the world's most arduous military selection test, the doko - running 5km up a steep track in the foothills of the Himalayas, carrying 25kg of rocks on their back, in less than 55 minutes. No wonder the Gurkhas are famed for their resilience, self-restraint and courage. Are they really outstandingly brave? Their motto is "Better to die than be a coward". In the First World War, in which 20,000 of them were casualties, they won almost 2,000 awards for gallantry. At the Battle of Loos in 1915 a Gurkha battalion fought literally to the last man. At Gallipoli they were the first to arrive and the last to leave.

Sir Ralph Turner MC who served with them then wrote an epitaph: "Bravest of the brave, most generous of the generous, never had a country more faithful friends than you". If there was a minute's silence for every one of the 23,000 Gurkha casualties from World War II, the nation would have to fall quiet for a full fortnight. How many Gurkhas have won the Victoria Cross? There have been twenty-six awards of this highest badge of courage made to members of the Gurkha regiments, half to Gurkhas and half to their British officers – more than to any other regiment. Some of the acts of bravery were extraordinary, like that of Rifleman Tul Bahadur Pun, now 87, who won the VC fighting the Japanese in the jungles of Burma. Only three of his section survived the onslaught from the enemy.

When all his comrades were dead or wounded he snatched up a Bren gun and made a solitary charge across 30 yards of open ground to take a Japanese machine gun which he then used to give covering fire that save a large number of Britsih lives, including that of Major James Lumley, whose actress daughter Joanna is now one of the staunchest campaigners for the Gurkha cause. What happens after they leave the Army? Rifleman Pun returned to a tiny Nepalese hill village and raised six children. He lived on an army pension that was a fraction of those of British servicemen, in a small cottage without running water or electricity until his health began to fail. As heart problems, diabetes and asthma assailed him, and he was unable to obtain the drugs to treat them, he applied for permanent residency in Britain – only to be told that, despite being invited to the Queen's coronation in 1953, he had "failed to demonstrate strong ties with the UK". A more recent veteran is Lance Corporal Gyanendra Rei, 52, who fought in the Falklands.

He had his back ripped open by shrapnel, and was left in constant pain, but his application for a visa to enter the UK for treatment on the NHS was refused. In 2005, after the Gurhkas used the Human Rights Act to appeal against their inequitable treatment compared with regular British army soldiers, the government agreed to increase the Gurkha pension for retirement after 1997 from £95 to at least £450 a month. But there remain 10,500 Gurkhas and 5,000 widows who receive no pension and live in near poverty; they are mostly veterans of the Second World War and are more than 80 years of age. They rely on £6 a month form a Gurkha welfare charity. Many ex-Gurkhas and their families live in Hong Kong, scraping a living in private security. The United States Navy also employs some Gurkhas as sentries at its Bahrain naval base. Why won't the Government allow them to live in the UK? Nepal is not a member of the Commonwealth. Gurkhas have never been subjects of the British Crown.

The government says that letting all 36,000 ex-Gurkhas into the UK would lead to "massive pressure" on the immigration service. Gordon Brown has claimed that the country cannot afford to look after them all. But hardly anyone else in the country seems to agree with him. Should the government allow all ex Gurkha soldiers to settle in the UK? Yes... * The country owes a duty of care to men who have served it with the particular dedication typical of Gurkhas. * The amounts on money involved a trifling compared with what the government has produced for other causes recently. * Conditions back in the Gurkha hill villages of Nepal as particularly tough for those suffering from injuries incurred in the Army. No... * Nepal is not a member of the Commonwealth and Gurkhas are not British subjects. * Letting in all 36,000 ex-Gurkhas into the UK would lead to "massive pressure" on the immigration and social services. * The country has to balance its duty to the Gurkhas with its reduced abilities to finance such deals.

More about: Lost generation of elderly Gurkhas struggle in Britain Lost generation of elderly Gurkhas struggle in Britain Hannah Vinter Share View photos Retired Gurkha soldiers march in protest during a demonstration outside the Palace of Westminster in London October 25, 2013. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez More By Hannah Vinter FARNBOROUGH, England (Reuters) - Retired Captain Birbahadur Thapa served in the British army for 28 years as part of the Brigade of Gurkhas, the fighting force recruited in Nepal whose kukri-wielding soldiers have long been famed as fearsome warriors. Now he leads a less glamorous existence in the run-down southern English town of Farnborough. Thapa, 72, is one of a number of former Gurkhas who were able to move to England after 2009, following a successful campaign spearheaded by actress Joanna Lumley to give all members of the brigade with at least four years service the right to settle in Britain. But almost half a decade after the event, many elderly retired Gurkhas find themselves struggling to adapt.

"Our people, who have come here to settle, especially old people, they haven't got any relatives, they haven't got anybody, life is so tough for them," Thapa said. An estimated 10,000 ex-Gurkha heads of family live in Britain, having come here after serving in the famous brigade that since 1815 has fought in numerous conflicts, from Gallipoli to Malaya to the current war in Afghanistan. But though they have been part of the British army, many older ex-Gurkhas do not speak good English and find navigating life in the country a challenge. "The elderly people who come here in particular find it very difficult to integrate because they don't speak the language, they don't understand the system," said William Shuttlewood, director of the Gurkha Welfare Trust charity. The veterans' situation has helped fuel protests by a group of ex-Gurkhas, their families and supporters, who are calling for improvements to their pensions and other benefits.

After a series of 24-hour fasts by demonstrators, protest organizer Gyanraj Rai on Thursday began an all-out hunger strike to push for their demands, which start with equal pension payments for Gurkha soldiers compared to their counterparts in other parts of the British army. Currently, many Gurkhas draw pensions tied to the cost of living in Nepal. Others only see around a third of their service prior to 1997 counted as pensionable, meaning they also receive lower monthly pay-outs than British equivalents. But the Ministry of Defense said the Gurkhas' pension arrangements are fair, having withstood three judicial reviews over the last decade, and that Gurkhas have benefitted from being able to receive pensions at an earlier age than their British counterparts. "LOST SOULS" For the younger ex-Gurkhas who have come to Britain and are still at working age, adapting is not nearly so much of a challenge. Many speak good English, and are able to start businesses or find jobs, frequently as private security guards.

Muchhetra Gurung, a 49-year-old who served with the Gurkhas for 17 years before retiring in 1999, is the director of a travel agent in Aldershot, an old army town where many of the veterans have settled. "We know the system, we have no problem here," he said of the younger generation in Britain. Life is different for the elderly, he said, many of whom would rather go back to Nepal if they had better pensions which would afford them a good quality of life there. Though some older retired Gurkhas might struggle to adapt, they have an incentive to come to Britain. They are entitled to the same benefits as the country's citizens, including housing benefit, pension credits and access to the National Health Service, which they would not receive in Nepal. The protesters say it would be cheaper for the government to pay an equal army pension that would allow elderly veterans to enjoy a high standard of living in their home country, rather than drawing them to Britain where they cost the government more through the benefit system.

This argument is shared by the head of the British Gurkha Welfare Society (BGWS), a group which is bringing a case calling for equal Gurkha pensions to the European Court of Human Rights. The chairman of the organization, retired Major Tikendra Dal Dewan, said currently many of the elderly Gurkhas feel stranded. "This older generation that come here, sadly some of them have come directly from the villages and they have not even seen a gas cooker, it's that extreme," he said. "If you just take a ride round Aldershot, you can see so many Gurkhas just walking around like lost souls." By contrast, retired Gurkhas have traditionally been revered figures on returning to their homes in Nepal, where they are supported by social and family networks. Gurkha protesters say that current pensions do not stretch far enough in Nepal, but charity director Shuttlewood contends that they can provide a "very good standard of living" there. Retired Gurkha Lieutenant Bhim Prashad Gurung, who lives in Nepal, disagrees. He receives a pension of around £350 a month, which he says would not be enough without extra income that he makes from a rice field.

"In Nepal it is not a lot of money, but it is just surviving you know," he said. (Reporting By Hannah Vinter; Editing by Angus MacSwan) Reblog The Gurkha Welfare Trust | Gurkhas today The Gurkha Welfare Trust Gurkhas today The Gurkha Soldier This short clip from the early 2000s shows a glimpse of the life and experience of a soldier in the modern UK Brigade of Gurkhas... Role in the modern Army Today, the Gurkhas remain an important part of the British Army. In recent times, Gurkhas have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the Falklands and Gulf Wars. Peacekeeping missions have also taken them to Kosovo, Bosnia, East Timor and Sierra Leone. They remain renowned for their loyalty, professionalism and bravery. Bravest of the brave, most generous of the generous, never had a country more faithful friends than you , 3rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles, 1931 The selection process Becoming a Gurkha is a matter of great pride. Thousands of young Nepali men apply, but few are accepted.

The rigorous selection process includes English grammar and mathematics tests, initiative and medical assessments and interviews with serving officers. Not least, candidates face gruelling fitness tests including a 'doko race', which involves carrying 25kg of sand while running up a steep 4.2km course. Those who pass muster find themselves at Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire, where a rigorous nine-month training course covers language, military skills, and instruction on Western customs and Regimental culture. Life as a soldier After passing out, the young Gurkha soldier joins a Regiment or corps unit. Depending on his aptitude and interests, he could serve as an infantryman in The Royal Gurkha Rifles or as a sapper, signaller, trainee Staff and Personnel Support clerk, professional driver or trainee chef in one of the Brigade's four corps units. Ahead lie years of adventure, brotherhood, service, and indeed danger. Even in recent years, Gurkhas have made the ultimate sacrifice on operations in Afghanistan.

When you know you're with the Gurkhas, I think there's no safer place to be Gurkhas - Part 1/2 (HD) - YouTube Gurkhas - Part 1/2 (HD) Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on May 9, 2013 Gurkhas have been part of the British Army for almost 200 years, but who are these fearsome Nepalese fighters?

Question: In what country would you find a Gurkha soldier?
Answer: Nepal