On Thursday in Kathmandu a vital decision was made to deploy 111 former Nepali servicemen in the British Army and Indian Army to monitor arms and armies management process until the UN monitors are on the ground. The decision was taken in a tripartite meeting of the government of Nepal, the Maoists and the United Nations. The meeting held at the Peace Secretariat in Singha Durbar decided to announce the vacancy to hire the ex-Gurkha servicemen immediately.
It must not be surprising why the Gurkhas are to be used in these critical hours in the country.
Gurkhas are Nepalese known for their bravery and fighting skills. Gurkha soldiers come from several different ethnic backgrounds within Nepal. Gurkhas are renowned as bravest of the braves’ fighters in the face of the earth. They are famous not only for their fearless fighting skills but also for honesty and discipline. At present they are deployed in different regions of the world including Afghanistan and Iraq. They have experiences of disarming rebels in many countries. The Gurkhas were used in peacekeeping works as well in many places.
The ex-Gurkha servicemen hired will help in initiating the process of arms and armies management that includes registration and verification of arms and the People’s Liberation Army fighters and Nepal Army soldiers.
It is a wise decision to use ex-Gurkhas in this process in their own country. This is an honor to all Nepalese people as an award for their bravery, honesty and obedience. This will be another example how people of the same country can also be used in conflict transformation. It does not always require foreigners for peace keeping and conflict transformation.
