Gurkha Veterans End 13-Day Pensions Hunger Strike

LONDON: AUGUST 20 – Former Gurkhas, who have been on hunger strike for 13 days demanding equal pension, have broken on Thursday. Gyan Raj Rai, Secretary Dhan Gurung and Women’s Campaigner Pushpa Rana Ghale, who have been on a hunger strike for the last 13 days after the July 21-17 relay Hunger Strike, have broken their Hunger Strike following the official opinion of the British Ministry of Defense.

Krishna Bahadur Rai, a chief coordinator of the Gurkha Satyagraha Joint Struggle Committee, said that the Hunger Strike was broken as there was an agreement between the governments of the two countries. Nepal’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom Lokdarshan Regmi was accompanied by Minister of State for Defense Leo Docherty. Both of them had broken their fast by giving juice to the campaigners.

After breaking the Hunger Strike, Ambassador Regmi said that the British government was ready to sit at the negotiating table on the Gurkha issue. He informed that an agreement was reached for talks with the United Kingdom, Nepal and Gorkha on the basis of the recommendation of the technical mechanism.

According to the agreement, preliminary discussions will be held between the British government officials and Nepali officials on September 8 and the talks will start from December, said, Chief Coordinator Rai. The Satyagraha Committee has thanked the former Gurkhas, various political parties and their leaders and the general public for their support of the movement.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court issued an interim order in the name of the Government of Nepal to immediately hold talks with the British government and take necessary steps to save the lives of the three Bhupu Gurkhas on hunger strike. On Wednesday, Non-Resident Nepali UK sent a letter to the Government of Nepal requesting it to take initiative to solve the problem of Gurkhas.