Billimoria for permanent residency to retd Gurkha servicemen
Lord Karan Billimoria, made a strong case in the House of Lords for giving permanent residency to Gurkhas who retired from British armed services before 1997.
By PTI |
LONDON: Leading NRI entrepreneur, Lord Karan Billimoria, made a strong case in the House of Lords for giving permanent residency to Gurkhas who retired from British armed services before 1997.
Speaking on the Immigration (Discharged Gurkhas) Bill, Billimoria, founder chairman of Cobra Beers, pointed out that in India Gurkhas received the same pensions as their fellow Indian army colleagues, unlike in Britain.
"In India, many Gurkhas, after retiring, have settled in India instead of returning home to Nepal and are allowed to do so. Here, sadly - after a huge struggle - Gurkhas receive a pension but it is not equivalent to that of their fellow British soldiers," he said.
"As we know, Gurkhas who retired before 1997 are not allowed to stay in UK should they wish to do so," he added.
When a person who works for a corporation in the UK can stay for four years and then have a right to permanent residency and possible citizenship, there is no reason why the Gurkhas who served the armed forces "with unquestioning loyalty for four years" should be prevented from remaining in this country, should they choose to do so, he said.
He also expressed confidence that if opinion of the British people was sought, they would show an "overwhelming wish for these brave and noble soldiers to be allowed to live in this country".
Noting that there are close to 100,000 Gurkhas serving in the Indian army, Billimoria said the Gurkha regiments that were left behind with the Indian army at independence have flourished.
However, there are, sadly, just over 3,000 in the UK and the historic Gurkha regiments here have been merged into the Royal Gurkha Rifles.
Speaking on the Immigration (Discharged Gurkhas) Bill, Billimoria, founder chairman of Cobra Beers, pointed out that in India Gurkhas received the same pensions as their fellow Indian army colleagues, unlike in Britain.
"In India, many Gurkhas, after retiring, have settled in India instead of returning home to Nepal and are allowed to do so. Here, sadly - after a huge struggle - Gurkhas receive a pension but it is not equivalent to that of their fellow British soldiers," he said.
"As we know, Gurkhas who retired before 1997 are not allowed to stay in UK should they wish to do so," he added.
When a person who works for a corporation in the UK can stay for four years and then have a right to permanent residency and possible citizenship, there is no reason why the Gurkhas who served the armed forces "with unquestioning loyalty for four years" should be prevented from remaining in this country, should they choose to do so, he said.
He also expressed confidence that if opinion of the British people was sought, they would show an "overwhelming wish for these brave and noble soldiers to be allowed to live in this country".
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Noting that there are close to 100,000 Gurkhas serving in the Indian army, Billimoria said the Gurkha regiments that were left behind with the Indian army at independence have flourished.
However, there are, sadly, just over 3,000 in the UK and the historic Gurkha regiments here have been merged into the Royal Gurkha Rifles.
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