If anyone utters" I am not afraid of death" either it has to be a lie or it should be a Gurkha. Introducing the highlanders"The Gurkhas of Nepal"insinuates recapitulating a history of 200 years of excellence, a history that is as chequerred as the history of modern Nepal. Gurkhas the name itself says it all. It is a synonym of legendary bravery,fierceness and endless contribution of defending the nation at the cost of their lives.
During the Malayan Emergency in the late 1940s, Gurkhas fought as jungle soldiers as they had done in Burma. The Training Depot Brigade of Gurkhas was established on 15 August 1951 at Sungai Petani, Kedah, Malaya.Since then it has producing a myriad of exceptionally bright brigades. Their outstanding contributions in the respective fields,not only helped the nation to be safe but also afforded their alma mater a reason to seek pride.It is not an exaggeration; it is a statement of facts.
They still carry into battle their traditional weapon - an 18-inch long curved knife known as the kukri. 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.The potential of these warriors was first realized by the British hence they commissioned them for their empire-building in the last century.They serve in a variety of roles, mainly in the infantry but with significant numbers of engineers, logisticians and signals specialists.
Gurkhas - How-Where-Why
How do they come to be in the British Army?
Around 200 years ago troops in support of the British East India Company invaded Nepal. In doing so they had to suffer heavy casualties at the hands of the Gurkhas. As a result they were forced to sign a hasty peace deal and offered the Gurkhas to join their army. A soldier recalls and wrote in his memoirs that: "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.
Where do they serve only in British forces or in other countries too ?
Not really. 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. The Gorkha Brigade currently has 120,000 Gurkhas in forty-six battalions. You will find Gurkhas in the Malaysian army and the Singapore Police Force both bodies formed from ex-British Army Gurkhas.
Why are they so tough and sturdy?
Around 28,000 Gurkha youths compete for just 200 places in the British Army each year. To qualify they have to undergo rigorous selection routine, they must be able to do 75 bench jumps in one minute and 70 sit-ups in two minutes. Next section is the world's most arduous military selection test, the doko - running 5km up a steep track in the foothills of the Himalayas. They must carry 25kg of rocks on their back, in less than 55 minutes. No wonder the Gurkhas are famed for their resilience, self-restraint and courage.
Tales,memoirs and epitaph accounts of their bravery?
Their motto is " I am not afraid of death it is better to die than be a coward". During 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.
Narrating tales and facts about these brave Gurkhas is endless. They are there to rule the minds and symbolize valor as a cake walk. Mind you it is not as easy it may sound it requires the inherited bloodline to reach zenith of bravery. Hence lets give these valiant men respect and consider and value their contribution in saving lives at the cost of theirs.
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