London – The Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) has been urged by the retired Gurkha community to support their demands for equal pensions and the continuation of citizenship rights.

This request was made during a joint meeting between the NRNA and organizations associated with Gurkha soldiers held on Saturday night in Aldershot, London.

The former Gurkha soldier community is currently fighting for equal pensions from the UK government and for the continuation of their citizenship from the Nepalese government.

At the event, Chairman of the Gurkha Welfare Task Force, Chandra Bahadur Gurung, emphasized that the NRNA and Nepalese political parties should support the Gurkha community’s demands for justice and equality.

He argued that it is not appropriate to revoke Nepalese citizenship based on the recruitment agreements between governments.

“We do not pose any security threat, and we never will,” he stated. “We were recruited based on a tripartite agreement between governments. Therefore, our descendants’ citizenship should continue. The government should not take it away.”

Chairman Gurung also warned that revoking the citizenship of the former Gurkha community would be detrimental to the country.

“Every year, 400 new youths are recruited into the British Army, and their families come to the UK,” Gurung said. “If their citizenship is continually revoked, the number of descendant citizens in the country will decrease, pushing indigenous and tribal communities further into minority status.”

He also expressed concern that if citizenship continuity is not maintained, the opportunity for the descendants of former Gurkhas to use their high-quality education and skills acquired abroad for the benefit of the country could be lost.

“If citizenship continuity is not ensured, the inflow of money earned by Nepalis abroad into the country will be halted,” Chairman Gurung added. “If the NRNA takes the initiative, our demand for citizenship continuity could be addressed. A debate on constitutional amendment is ongoing in Nepal. Two major forces like Congress and UML are standing together. This is the right time for our demands to be met.”

The program was attended by representatives of various associations related to former Gurkha soldiers and NRNA officials.

NRNA President Dr. Badri KC, Vice Presidents Dr. Hemraj Sharma, Ramsharan Simkhada, Rojina Pradhan Rai, Secretary Tika Gurung, and others acknowledged the legitimacy of the Gurkha community’s demands and stated that they are actively working to address them. They also expressed their commitment to ensuring these demands are fulfilled.

Vice President Simkhada noted that the NRNA has been with the former Gurkhas since its inception. He also mentioned the need for a joint effort to create an environment for ministerial-level talks with the UK government.