Kathmandu, 10 July (Hindustan Times). Due to disagreement with Nepal’s Agneepath plan, confusion has increased regarding the Gorkha soldier recruitment which has been stalled for a year. Nepal will take a decision with the consensus of all parties, but it is not decided when it will be taken. On the other hand, no diplomatic initiative has been taken after the disagreement over the recruitment of Gorkhas under the Agneepath scheme.
Nepal’s Foreign Minister NP Saud has said that he will take a decision on Gorkha recruitment at an appropriate time. Keeping his point in the International Relations Committee of the Parliament of Nepal, he told the need for all-party consensus on the recruitment of Indian Gorkha soldiers. He said that the decision will be taken on the basis of consensus. He said that there has been no diplomatic initiative with India regarding the opening of Gorkha recruitment.
The recruitment of Gorkha soldiers from Nepal has been stopped from August 2022 after a change in the law regarding military recruitment in India. The recruitment of Gurkhas under India’s Agneepath scheme was put on hold following Nepal’s disagreement. Until Nepal agrees, Gorkha recruitment will not open.
Nepal has taken the stand that recruitment of Gorkhas should be done as per the old law. According to the Agneepath scheme only 25 percent of the recruits will be permanently posted in the Indian Army after four years and the rest will be sent back home with a fixed amount.
While recruiting Gurkha soldiers, 60 are selected from Nepal and the rest from India. This recruitment is also being seen as a special relationship between Nepal and India. Every year thousands of youth from Nepal prepare to join the Indian Gorkha Army. They are disappointed with the postponement of recruitment. Gurkha soldiers should have been recruited thrice within the suspended period but nothing happened.
