By Ashis Biswas
KOLKATA: Recent reports about the number of Nepalese Gorkhas joining mercenary groups like Wagner army of Russia may be exaggerated, but Indian government is still concerned about China making a fresh attempt to recruit them as soldiers.
For some time, news of Nepalese Gorkhas being recruited by various agencies, reported at some length in international social media backed by videos, has led to a generally negative diplomatic fallout in south Asia and beyond .
India stands squarely blamed because of its decision to introduce the new Agnipath recruitment scheme for future aspirant entrants to the Indian army. For decades, Gorkha applicants of both Nepali and Indian origin have been highly welcome within Indian army ranks, because of their fierce fighting spirit, sense of loyalty and discipline. On average over 1200 Gorkha youths from both countries joined the army, until last year.
For the record, there are currently seven Gorkha regiments comprising (more or less) 40,000 heads in the Indian army, while the number of resident pensioners in Nepal is over 120,000.
However, some provisions of the Agnipath scheme were strongly rejected by Nepal Government, as it halted the recruitment of Nepalese citizens for joining the Indian army—- ending a 200 year old bilateral arrangement!
GOI’s new proposals ensure secured jobs for only 25% of initially selected youths, at the end of a 4 year arms and other training period Also, there will be no mandatory pension or other social security benefits for retiring soldiers, completing their service tenure!
These conditions along with other game- changing alterations, come as part of what have been described as part of an ambitious new GOI scheme to build a stronger, more modern army for the future.
It needs stressing that there have been angry youth demonstrations in Bihar and other parts of India against the Agnipath provisions, quite apart from the resentment reported from Nepal!
In part, the state of its economy as well as the unforeseen economic impact of the continuing Ukraine war might also have forced Nepal’s break with India, which does not exactly improve the existing frosty relationship between the two countries. The assured recruitment to the Indian army was undoubtedly an economic opportunity especially for Gorkha youths to work out their future for themselves as well as their families, near home. The current extent of unemployment among job seekers is a high 12%, with only limited domestic opportunities available.
Given this backdrop, prospects of a monthly pay packet of around $2500 US offered by Wagner recruiters according to reports, together with the offer of Russian citizenship on completion of one year’s service as a solider, are obviously attractive for physically fit but jobless youth in Nepal—or anywhere else in South Asia! The reports further suggest that there is no language bar — Afghans and other mercenaries have also served in Wagner without knowing Russian!
In fact, the offer of citizenship in an advanced country like Russia for a Gorkha soldier and family is another major incentive, besides being a sure confirmation that the full weight of a major power like Russia works in favour of Wagner.
Despite being seen as a ‘Transnational criminal organisation ‘ by US Government authorities, the Wagner group until recently led by Yevgeni Prigozhin , had effectively intervened in military conflicts in Libya, Syria, Mozambique and more recently, in Crimea. US-EU aided armies and regimes had been fully or partially checkmated in the areas, as the controversial West-sponsored regime change operations failed spectacularly in Syria and parts of Africa as well.
Observers feel that the US-led opposition to the activities of the Wagner group—- not to mention the larger long term Western design to cut down Russia to size politically/economically/militarily—- has prompted the cautious response of Nepali diplomats and authorities regarding Gorkhas becoming part of armed East –against- West hostilities. Kathmandu is determined to maintain its non aligned , neutral stance in the East vs West confrontation.
Recent Press inquiries have elicited the Nepalese response that a few individual Gorkhas, some of retirees, might have joined Wagner on their own initiative. They did not inform or seek permission from Nepalese authorities. Their number might be 12 or more, according to one report. As such, it was officially difficult for Nepal to intervene in the present situation.
This comes in the wake of fresh reports of a renewed Chinese interest in recruiting Nepalese Gorkhas for the Peoples Liberation Army(PLA). There are suggestions that Nepali recruits could prove highly effective in standing up to Indian troops guarding the disputed Himalayan borders and adjacent regions. The Chinese border troops , it is common knowledge , had faced strong resistance from Indian border guards during the recent skirmishes at Galwan and other areas.
Observers recall that in 1962, Indian troops killed by the Chinese during the border conflict had included many Gorkhas. Beijing authorities reportedly invited them to join the Chinese and fight for them, but the Gorkhas refused.
Evidence that the Chinese were now taking a fresh look at the situation became available in 2020, as Beijing authorities ordered a survey to ascertain why the Gorkhas had generally sided with India on most occasions, despite occasional Indo-Nepalese tensions.
Significantly, the Chinese have renewed such efforts now, as tensions and controversies plague Indo-Nepal relations during the tenure of the second NDA government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP). Stronger Sino-Nepalese ties will also strengthen China’s presence and influence in the strategic Himalayan region where the US has become more diplomatically active. (IPA Service)