Speaking to LBC News, former Gurkha Gyanraj Rai, 63, who is on his fifth day of a hunger strike with two other Gurkhas outside Downing Street, explained that his army pension was “less than that of a service dog”. In a shocking admission, Mr Rai revealed how he received a “pension of £ 47” compared to his British counterpart’s “£ 800”, which meant that “thousands” of veterans had almost died “of malnutrition”. He added that over a period of “30 years” despite all the help, the situation has not changed and that the hunger strike is “the last resort” to obtain equal pensions for the Gurkhas who fought. for Great Britain and retired before 1997, as they are not entitled to a full pension from the British Armed Forces.
Mr Rai said: “Britain does not intimidate and mistreat us, it mistreats a sovereign country which has served this nation for the past 200 years.”
Mr Rai explained that over the years “entire Nepalese villages have been emptied” into the service of Britain but the Gurkhas still receive a paltry pension.
He explained how, over the years, the low pensions of the brave Gurkhas have been so damaging that families are “starving” in Nepal.
The Gurkha said the situation has become so bad for families that “thousands of dependent children” who are uneducated are taking “dirty, difficult and dangerous” jobs in Saudi Arabia.
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The veteran said: “A lot of their parents don’t have a pension or they have a minimum.
And in a shocking moment, the former Gurkha revealed: “I was a warrant officer class, my counterpart, the same ranking, he used to get a pension of £ 800.
“When I retired in 1995, do you want to know how many [I got]? Only £ 47! It is the only pension.
Mr Rai pointed out: “He took over £ 61,000 in retirement allowance. Me? Barely £ 3,000 to £ 4,000!
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A Defense Ministry spokesperson said on Monday: “We greatly appreciate the enormous contribution of the Gurkhas to the British Army and we are ensuring that they receive a generous pension and medical care during their retirement in Nepal.
“We are committed to ensuring that the Gurkha pension scheme is sustainable and fair alongside other UK public sector pensions. “
The Gurkha Pension Scheme (GPS) was based on Indian Army rates for those who had at least 15 years of service, but Gurkhas who retired before 1997 receive a fraction of the pension than the rest of the l British army receives.
Over 200,000 Gurkhas fought in both world wars and, over the past 50 years, have served in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Borneo, Cyprus, the Falklands, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.
In 2009, all retired Gurkhas were granted the right to live in the UK, following a high profile campaign led by actress Joanna Lumley, whose father served with the 6th Gurkha Rifles.
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This notice was published: 2021-08-11 21:30:00
