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DESPAIR OF THE FORGOTTEN ARMY

Despite their loyal service, many Gurkhas are left to live on the breadline

Monday April 23,2007

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A GROUP of Gurkhas are living on the breadline after suffering hold-ups in paying their pensions.

Some 19 former soldiers, all of whom have been retired on health grounds after more than 15 years of service, were due to receive their regular basic entitlements, which could amount to several hundred pounds a month, from the Ministry of Defence late last year.

However, apart from an initial small lump sum each, not a penny has been forthcoming.

Solicitor Nigel Brothers, who has been representing some of the men, said: “When someone retires they expect to get their pension paid on time, especially if it is coming from a secure source like the Government.

“These men have loyally served our country. Their pensions, however meagre, are their rightful due but they’ve been left in limbo with no indication as to when they will receive them. This cannot be justified. It would seem these men are a forgotten corner who’ve been overshadowed in the Gurkhas’ bigger battle for equal pension rights.”

Last month the Government conceded that all Gurkhas who left the Army after 1997 could look forward to improved pensions that would be more in line with those of their British counterparts.

Homelessness threatens for Bhabisar Tamang and his family from Winchester, an Army rifleman for 22 years, who is now being treated for a serious blood complaint. The 40-year-old impoverished veteran, who served in Brunei, Malaysia and Hong Kong, has been living on relatives’ handouts because of delays in getting his pension and incapacity benefit.

“It is very hard for us. We did not expect this to happen so we have no other plan. In the Army, things get done on time – it is so different now I’ve left,” he said.

Dil Prasad Kerung, 37, was a rifleman for 17 years but was injured during his time in Brunei and is waiting for a kidney transplant. He expected his annuity to start on December 14 last year, as did his countryman Kamal Purja, also 37, from Eastleigh, Hampshire.

“We ask when but there’s no reply. Every month it gets more difficult but there is not much we can do. We just wait but are very disappointed,” said Mr Purja.

When Crusader put the problem to the Ministry of Defence a spokesman said it could not comment on individual cases. But some paperwork had not been completed properly. However, that was being dealt with. “The men should receive their pensions in two weeks’ time,” he confirmed.

“This is excellent news and the first definite information we’ve received,” said Nigel Brothers who intends to pursue the veterans’ case.

“Crusader’s intervention has let them know where they stand and even speed up the payments. Now we can move on to the next stage.”

NU LABOUR IS AFRAID OF THESE MEN..

01.04.08, 11:52pm

ANYTHING that smacks of Britishness... Loyalty, Service to Country, Service to The Queen, National flags, The Proms.. and especially "The Ghurkas"--a group of men that evoke such powerful feelings from the "True British" etc etc.. is loathed by, and is to be stamped out by New Labour, according to their Marxist doctrine. The entire ethic of post Cold War globalisation, indeed, is profoundly anti-national. The multinational corporation, like Marx’s worker, “has no country”: the modern international corporate executive is more at home in an airport departure lounge or a Hilton hotel than in a village pub. The last thing you want when trying to dismantle Queen and Country, are a bunch of fearsome Ghurka warriors stalking their traitorous leaders..

The BNP would guarantee that the Gurkhas and their families would be given leave to remain in Britain.

Real Racism in action thanks to New Labour:

http://www.bnp.org.uk/2008/02/29/real-rascism-in-action/

• Posted by: NoisySiamese • Report Comment

BEING STABBED IN THE BACK!

13.11.07, 11:51pm

Now our loyal Gurkhas know what it is like to live under this inneficient and corrupt government! I hope the British people are taking note of the way we treat our loyal troops, of whatever hue and cry!? I would say this government should hang their heads in shame, but they have no shame!! But we are not surprised anymore are we people? It is way past time to get rid of labour!

• Posted by: peterthepainter • Report Comment

GURKHAS

09.10.07, 4:07pm

This evil government has enough money to throw at ridiculous black sack uniforms in case any female mohammadan service women want to dress like they're going to Count Dracula's funeral, but cannot pay these loyal people what they are due.

• Posted by: urban • Report Comment

DESPAIR OF THE FORGOTTEN ARMY

18.08.07, 8:33am

Stand up for your rights people, The Constitution should be read more closely and so with the "Magna Carta"
Get off those couches and do something about it as I am sure there are some groups you could join.

• Posted by: effnc • Report Comment

DESPAIR OF THE FORGOTTEN ARMY

26.06.07, 3:29pm

A leader or government who is not concerned about the past is not concerned about the future either just the present and their own well being, which means any future patriotism will go unrewarded as well or at least put into a delay stack where they will probably die of their injuries or old age and save the government a lot of money to pay out, notice how DELAY seems to be prominent in this new labour party like with the vote etc, its because they have a credit black hole in the economy and that’s partly because they want the money to pay and invest in Europe and to cover all the immigrants etc instead of in this country and its ethnic people.

• Posted by: Derk • Report Comment