A one-day seminar on discrimination against British Gurkhas vis-?-vis their British counterparts was held in Pokhara on 18 December. The participants were mostly human rights activists from Kathmandu-based organisations.

Among the objectives of the workshop was to make participants aware about the physical and mental condition of forgotten war veterans-there are quite a few, some with lacerated limbs and maimed organs. For example, there were those who had fought in the Malayasian campaign but were prematurely discharged after the communist threat had been contained there in the mid-60s. These former British Gurkhas have suffered the most economic hardship. They were relieved of their livelihood in the prime of their lives without sustainable compensation.

Also present were war widows who seemed considerably bouyed by promise of the organiser, the Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen Association (GAESO), to fight the British establishment for equal pensions and pay. The countenance of these men and women reflected their hopes of justice. The veterans and widows carried placards around their necks condemning the British government and the British army for their failure to treat Gurkhas according to international law as well as for their indifference to the Nepali soldiers' welfare. (Some time ago a news item appeared in the Daily Mirror and Telegraph of London, suggesting that British Gurkha pensioners were being forced to hand over half their monthly pension to the GAESO-a pretty far-fetched story that may have seemed plausible to the editors in London.)

The difference in pensions paid to Gurkhas and other British World War II veterans has been defended on the grounds that Gurkha troops are paid according to the Tripartite Treaty of 1947. Many legal experts and academics now claim that this treaty does not have legal standing. The Bipartite Treaty between India and the UK was signed to keep British Gurkhas' pay and pension on par with that of Indian Gorkhas. The political compulsion of the day forced India to include the Indian pay and pension code in the agreement since the promise of higher remuneration would have lured all the Gurkhas to the British army, and India wouldn't want this. Both governments benefited from this arrangement at the cost of the Nepali soldiers.

When the treaty was presented to the government of Nepal of the time for endorsement, Nepal refused to do so. Instead, the Nepali government suggested changes to the document. These were to be worked out later, and some kind of vague understanding was reached. Unfortunately, none of the changes were ever carried through. The British are still using the temporary agreement to regulate the pay and pension packages of British Gurkhas. The British are already losing some ground and may find themselves under pressure from the international community.