SUNDAY, JUNE 16, 2024
SHASHWAT GUPTA RAY
PANJIM: Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, who led India to its biggest military victory post-Independence in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, had once famously said, “If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or he is a Gorkha.”
German dictator Adolf Hitler had also said: “If I had Gorkha, I can win the whole world.”
These are not mere comments, but testaments to the capabilities of the Gorkhas.
They have a rich legacy as one of the finest martial races in the world. They have played a crucial role in the Indian Army and contributed greatly to the country’s defence.
Now, there are reports about Nepali Gorkhas joining the Wagner mercenary group in Russia, which is bad news for India.
But, why did Gorkhas from Nepal decide to travel to Russia for enlisting in a private army and why should it worry India?
There are a number of causes for this change. Russian officials made it simple to obtain citizenship. Moreover, many believe that Wagner pays its recruits very well. There are also employment issues in Nepal.
“But the biggest trigger was the Agnipath scheme started by the Government of India, under which the recruited soldiers will serve only for four years as Agniveers, without any pension and other long-term benefits. Nepal is displeased with this programme and has paused the recruiting process. This is not good news for the Indian Army,” Kargil War hero and former Commanding Officer of 1/11 Gorkha Rifles, Colonel (Retd) Lalit Rai told O Heraldo.
Following India’s Independence, India, Nepal and Great Britain signed a Britain-India-Nepal Tripartite Agreement in 1947.
Provision was made for six of the 10 Gorkha regiments in the British Indian Army to transfer to the new Indian Army.
“The Indian Army has 40 battalions and seven regiments, in which there are about 35,000 Gorkha soldiers,” said Col Rai, recipient of Vir Chakra for his valour in the Kargil War.
Traditionally, soldiers in the Indian Army served for a minimum period of 15 years.
“However, the new Agnipath scheme curtails the serving period to four years. This has strained ties between India and Nepal,” Col Rai said.
It is important to note that the Gorkha Regiment won nine Victoria Cross in the Great Wars and has 49 battle honours to its credit.
Post-Independence, the Gorkha Regiment won three Param Vir Chakra, the highest military decoration, 10 Ashoka Chakra (highest peacetime gallantry award), 30 Maha Vir Chakra (second highest gallantry award), 13 Kirti Chakra, 99 Vir Chakra, 44 Shaurya Chakra, 201 Sena Medal, one Uttam Yudh Seva Medal and five Yudh Seva Medal.
It has given the country three army chiefs - late Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, former Chief of Defence Staff, late General Bipin Rawat and General Dalbir Singh Suhag.
“It would certainly be a great loss for the Indian Army if such a fine martial race stops joining the force. If there won’t be any fresh recruitments and the number of soldiers start dwindling, then it will certainly pose problems considering the vast borders that we have to guard on both the fronts, plus fighting the militancy in Kashmir and the North East,” the former Gorkha regiment officer said.
Also, China is planning to set up a similar mercenary group to target Taiwan.
‘If these valiant Gorkhas join the private army of China and it is turned against India, then our problems will only compound. Government should be wary of these dangers lying ahead and take a relook at the Agnipath scheme,” he said.
The Kargil War veteran urged that India should talk to the Nepalese government and find a solution.
Giving a global perspective to this issue, 1971 Indo-Pak War hero, Lt Col (Retd) M K Gupta Ray said that the issue of Gorkhas joining Wagner Group as mercenaries is tip of the iceberg.
“This is a new phenomenon which is fast spreading across the world. Countries are hiring them to keep their own casualties down. It’s believed that like Wagner, various such groups are sprouting, like the French Foreign Legion and working as corporate agencies, providing mercenaries at a cost,” he said.
“It's going to be a diabolical trend where certain groups of people will take up working as mercenaries as a profession,” he warned.
