'Gurkha agreement legacy of past': Nepal calls for revision of pact with India & UK

Nepal has said that the 1947 agreement on Gurkha soldiers is a ‘legacy of the past’ and called for a revision of its tripartite pact with the United Kingdom and India. Nepalese Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali claimed that the agreement has become ‘redundant’ and certain provisions in the agreement are ‘questionable’ in the present context.

In a virtual discussion 'Foreign Policy of Nepal in changing Geopolitical context' organised by the Nepal Institute of International Relations on Friday, the Foreign Minister urged Britain and India -- the two other signatories of 1947 tripartite Gurkha agreement to hold discussions on the matter.

"Gorkha recruitment is a legacy of the past. It has various aspects. It opened the window for Nepali youths to go abroad. It created a lot of jobs in the society in the past but in the present context, some provisions in the agreement are questionable. So, we should start discussions on its various objectionable aspects," Gyawali said.

"The 1947 tripartite agreement has become redundant," he added.

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He said that Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had raised the issue during his official meeting with Theresa May in 2019 when she was the British Prime Minister. Gyawali called for further discussions on the regarding the bilateral deal with the UK and India as it has ‘multi-faceted aspects.’

The Foreign Minister noted that 1947 tripartite agreement signed between the three countries assures equal benefits, remuneration, facilities and pension schemes to Nepali soldiers serving in the British and Indian Armies. However, the Gurkha veterans have alleged that the agreement is discriminatory against them.

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Explains contentious Nepal map

During the discussion, Pradeep Kumar Gyawali also spoke on the row with Nepal publishing a new map containing Indian territories of Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura, Gyawali. He said that Nepal proposed to formally restart diplomatic negotiations on the boundary dispute, but the discussions got halted due to COVID-19 outbreak.

“Amid the pandemic, India published its 8th edition of the political map back in November 2019. It comprised Nepal's territory of Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura. Definitely, Nepal opposed it through political statement and diplomatic notes," he said.

"We, time and again, asked our Indian friends to formally start the diplomatic negotiation to settle these problems, but India responded by saying that the negotiation will be started only after COVID-19,” he added.

Nepal, however, noticed that India was in close engagement with China, Australia, the US and many others, even during the pandemic. “Hence, we had no choice but to publish the map including the regions which are an integral part according to the Sugauli Treaty. To make it legitimate, we amended the constitution with unanimity," he claimed.

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(With inputs from agency)