5 Gorkha Rifles officers out of 14 approved for rank of Lt General

7:30 AM

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indian army

The Army has de-classified the promotion board results for the rank of Lt General and a major chunk of the vacancies for this particular batch have gone to officers belonging to the Gorkha Rifles.

As per details of the result accessed by The Indian Express, a total of 14 officers of the rank of Major General have been approved in the ‘Command and Staff Stream’ in which they will go on to Command a Corps each and then onwards for appointment as Army Commanders or General Officers Commanding-in-Chief of a command. Five officers out of these 14 belong to the Gorkha Rifles, though from various Gorkha Rifles regiments, and none from the Chief of Army Staff’s own regiment, the 5th Gorkha Rifles.

Gorkha Rifles 

The selection board for the Major Generals of 1981 batch was held earlier this month. Among the officers who have been approved for the rank of Lt General are Maj Gen SK Saini (Jat Regiment), Maj Gen AS Bedi (Garhwal Rifles), Maj Gen A Chauhan (Gorkha Rifles), Maj Gen JS Negi (Dogra Regiment), Maj Gen IS Ghuman (Brigade of Guards), Maj Gen PM Bali (Punjab Regt), Maj Gen Vijay Singh (Gorkha Rifles), Maj Gen SK Upadhya (Garhwal Rifles), Maj Gen Saranjit Singh (Sikh Light Infantry), Maj Gen YVK Mohan (Gorkha Rifles), Maj Gen AK Bhatt (Gorkha Rifles), Maj Gen Dushyant Singh 9Maratha Light Infantry), Maj Gen RK Jagga (Armoured Corps) and Maj Gen R Gopal (Gorkha Rifles).

The social media was soon abuzz with the list of officers approved and the fact that such a large number of Gorkha Rifles officers had made the grade. However, a senior officer from Gorkha Rifles said that Gorkha Rifles is comprised of seven separate regiments and that all individual regiments are different from each other having separate regimental centres and there being around 45 Gorkha Rifles units.

The selection board has also not thrown up name of any officer approved from the Regiment of Artillery in the general cadre for the command and staff stream. Earlier, officers from the Artillery and even the Corps of Engineers had been doing very well in getting command appointments in higher ranks and the present Vice Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen MMS Rai, is from the Corps of Engineers.



Via indianexpress

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Subash Ghisingh stood for the separate Indian Gorkha Troops

12:51 PM

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Subash Ghisingh

Shri Subash Ghisingh always stood for the separate Indian Gorkha Troops, so as to differentiate the “Indo – Nepal Agreement Troops” and the “Indian Gorkha Troops” and to save the whole settled Indian Gorkhas from unnecessary and permanent stigma and allegation of Foreigners, Mercenaries, Reciprocal people and Nepal subjects.

Finally after 30 years on 2nd April 2016, The Army have raised a new Gorkha battalion comprising entirely of Indian Gorkha troops i.e. Sixth Battalion of the First Gorkha Rifles (6/1GR), named “Kanchi Paltan”. Traditionally, the majority of troops in Gorkha regiments belong to Nepal, The stipulated ratio of composition of these regiments between Nepalese and Indian domicile Gorkhas is about 70:30:

Why the need of separate Indian Gorkha Regiment / Battalion?

The separate Indian gorkha regiment or battalion is required so as to have clear distinction between the “Agreement Troops” (the gorkha troops from Nepal / Nepalese citizen) and the “Indian Gorkha Troops ( The gorkha troops from Indian / Indian citizen )”

The Indian Gorkhas had faced and are still facing the unique identity crisis with regard to their Indian citizenship because of the Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship (1950) which permits "the citizen of Nepal or India, the freedom to reside, own the property, participate in trade and commerce and other rights of similar nature in their territory”. Thus, there are many Nepalese citizens of Nepal who have migrated after 1950 living in India. The Indian Gorkhas are mistakenly identified as the citizens of Nepal who have migrated to India in search of jobs and livelihood.

Whereas the history of Indian gorkha starts from The Gorkha War (1814–1816), the war that was fought between Gorkha Kingdom ( Nepal ) and the British East India Company which ended up by signing the Treaty of Sugauli in 1816.
The Sugauli Treaty was signed on 2nd December 1815 and later ratified on 4 March 1816 between East India Company and King of Nepal: however, the treaty asked for the territorial concessions, in which large territory of Nepal was given to British India, and also allowed British to recruit Gurkhas for its military service.


Under the treaty, about “one-third of Gorkha Kingdom (Nepal)” was lost, including Darjeeling, Sikkim, territory to west of the Kali River like Kumaon (present Indian state of Uttarakhand), Garhwal (present Indian state of Uttarakhand); some territories to the west of the Sutlej River like Kangra (present day Himachal Pradesh); and much of the Terai Region, It caused Nepal to lose about “105,000 km2” of its territory.

Later on in 1947, when British India got its Independent creating India and Pakistan, the fate of Indian gorkha was neglected and remained unresolved as Nepal didn’t accepted it back or demanded its lost territory nor did Indian accepted it constitutionally to be its Union of State by declaring these gorkha dominated areas (territory which had come to British India as per Sugauli Teaty) as a state of Gorkahaland, a state which would uphold the identity of Indian gorkha, like the states of Wes Bengal for Indian Bangalis or Punjab for Indian Panjabi.

But rather India signed an agreement with Nepal in 1950 which created the confusion on citizenship of entire gorkha settled in India, the gorkha who had come along with their ceded land to British India began to be called as foreigner on their own homeland in present India.


Hence, Shri Subash Ghisingh not only led the movement for separate state of Gorkhaland, which he believed would resolve our identity crisis in Indian; But also demanded for the separate Indian Gorkha Regiment for Indian Grokha so as to have clear cut distinction between Indian Gorkha and Nepali Gorkha,

Historical archive below :

Date: 15th January 1987:

Telegram sent To Shri Rajiv Gandhi, P M of India, Copy to King of Nepal:

We have no other alternative but to ask the whole settled Indian Gorkhas not to join the “Agreement Troops” of Gorkha Rifles. Furthermore, we are compelled to ask the central Government of India to immediately establish a New and Separate India Gorkha Regiment so as to save the whole settled Gorkhas from unnecessary and permanent stigma and allegation of Foreigners, Mercenaries, Reciprocal people and Nepal subjects.

Date: 3rd February, 1987: Statement released:

Urging government for formation of separate “Indian Gorkha Troops” to save guard the Indian Gorkha community and in the larger interest of Indian.

Date: 22nd July 1987:

Letter To Rajiv Gandhi PM, India:

Point No 9, (iii) The “Indian Gorkha Regiment” must be established as soon as possible so as to make a clear distinction between the “Agreement Troops” and the “Indian Gorkha Troops” in the interest of the victimized Gorkha and in the interest of the country of Indian. After declaration of the Government Notification on the issue of citizenship, the recruitment of the aboriginal and the settled gorkhas to the “Agreement Troops” must be immediately stopped.

However MOS was signed 23rd August 1988 between Subash Ghising (President of GNLF) and CG Somiah (Union Home Secretary) in presence of Sd/ Buta Singh (Union Home Minister) in Delhi:

As regards raising a separate Indian Gorkha Regiment, the policy of the Government of India of not having any new regiment raised on class composition was acknowledge. However, it was clarified that it is not obligatory for Indian Gorkhas to join only specified Gorkha Regiments and that they have the option to join the Regiments of their choice. To this extent suitable instructions will be issued by the Army Headquarters…….

Finally now after 30 year of struggle the government of Indian understood the strategic need of Indian Gorkha battalion to uphold the gorkha regiment FOREVER in India. We view this STRATEGIC decision, not only an employment opportunity BUT also a clear cut distinction between Indina gorkha and Nepalese gorkha citizens.



Source HAMRO APPA

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Historical First Gorkha Regiment gets new Battalion 6/1GR

9:32 PM

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indian army

CANDIGARH April 1st: The historical First Gorkha regiment of the Indian army has raised a new battalion on Friday at Subathu Cantonment, which is the birth place of the First Gorkha Rifles in Himachal Pradesh. The move is historical as the Gorkha regiment has raised a new battalion after a gap of almost five decades. As of now First Gorkha Regiment has five battalions and the new battalion would be known as 6/1GR (6/1 Gorkha Rifles).

The announcement about the raising of this battalion was made by Lt Gen Ravi Thodge, Master General of Ordinance and Colonel of the Regiment in October 2015 during the grand celebrations of Reunion-cum-Bicentenary of the Regiment.

First Gorkha regiment was raised on April 24, 1815 at Subathu Cantonment. The raising celebrations included wreath laying, special sainik sammelan and prayers at the regimental mandir to invoke the benign blessings of Goddess Durga. Lt Gen Ravi Thodge conveyed his best wishes to all ranks of newly raised battalion and exhorted them to perform at their best and to serve the nation in a manner befitting the magnificent Indian Army.

Historical First Gorkha Regiment gets new Battalion 6/1GR

He also brought out that a modern and professional Indian army has to always be ready for any challenges that come its way. Colonel Avaneesh Chambial, has been appointed as the first commanding officer of the new battalion.

Via TOI

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Gorkha Jawan From Kalimpong‬ Becomes Martyr in Siachen avalanches

8:58 AM

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Kalimpong

Indian Gorkha Rifleman Sunil Rai of 10th Mile Kalimpong has become Martyr in Siachen avalanches in Ladakh. He was part of the patrol party of 2/11 Gorkha Rifles that was hit by an avalanche in Siachen’s Turtuk region the same avalanche which killed Gorkha Jawan, Lance Havildar Bhawan Tamang, of Lopchu in Darjeeling.

The Two soldiers were buried under snow in Ladakh's Turtuk Sector of Siachen— the highest battleground in the world — after the avalanche struck an Army patrol around 8 am on Friady.

Lance Havildar Bhawan Tamang was immediately retrieved and evacuated to the nearest medical facility, but could not be revived by the medical team, the army said. He is survived by his wife, a six year old daughter and his parents.

READ - Gorkha Jawan From Darjeeling killed in avalanche in Siachen, Another Missing

“Mortal remains of 22 year sold Rifleman Sunil Rai, who was buried under snow after an avalanche struck an army patrol on March 25 in the Turtuk Sector, was recovered by rescue teams this morning,” a defence spokesman said.

Rifleman Sunil Rai From Kalimpong‬ Becomes Martyr in Siachen avalanches

“The mortal remains of the soldiers are being evacuated from the area of the avalanche, after which a wreath laying ceremony will be conducted.... Thereafter, they will be transported by air to their native places where their funeral will be held with full military honours,” the spokesman said.

He said Tamang is survived by his wife, a six-year-old daughter and his parents, whereas Rai is survived by his parents and two younger brothers.

Lt Gen DS Hooda, Army Commander, Northern Command has conveyed his condolences to the families of the soldiers. "The Indian Army fraternity stands shoulder to shoulder with the bereaved families in their hour of grief," he said.

General Dalbir Singh, COAS and all ranks express heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family of Riflemen Sunil Rai who sacrificed his life in the line of duty at Turtuk . Rifleman Sunil Rai, who was buried under snow after an avalanche struck an army patrol on 25 March 2016 was recovered by the rescue teams today morning after an intense search. We pray to Almighty to give strength to the family members to bear this great loss.

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India offers to send its Gurkhas to Brunei

7:11 PM

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indian army

Britain’s last military outpost in the Far East may be at risk amid reports India has offered to send its Gurkhas to protect the Sultanate of Brunei, a role currently performed by the British Army.

The tiny oil-rich sultanate of Brunei was a British protectorate for almost a century, and has continued to pay to host a battalion of British Army Gurkhas since independence in 1984.

But in recent years Brunei has found itself caught up in a struggle between its larger regional neighbours including India and China over the South China Sea.

On an official visit ending on Wednesday, Indian vice-president Mohammad Hamid Ansari signed a bilateral defence agreement involving joint military exercises and training, in part designed to shore up Brunei against Chinese claims on its disputed maritime territory.

Sources present at the meeting told The Indian Express that India had also offered to provide troops including retired soldiers from its own Gurkha Regiment, potentially supplanting the current role of the British Forces Brunei.

The claims will raise fears over the future of a deal in which the Sultan pays tens of millions of pounds annually to support a 1,000-strong British Army presence that informally guarantees his rule.

It comes at a time when the Sultanate is making swingeing defence cuts as its economy reels from plummeting global oil prices.

Officials briefed after the meeting that a team from Brunei would shortly visit India to “identify areas" of cooperation.

An Indian foreign ministry spokesman did not deny the reports, but said the proposal was “not a firm offer” and could be limited to provision of bodyguards rather than active military.

India is keen to build stronger ties with many Southeast Asian countries as part of a ‘Look East’ strategy designed to counterbalance China’s expansion in the region.

Energy-hungry India also imports large amounts of oil and gas from Brunei, while the sultanate is home to a 10,000-strong Indian community.

During the Sultan of Brunei’s visit to Chequers last February, David Cameron signed a deal to renew the presence of the Royal Gurkha Rifles in Brunei for another five years.

A Number 10 spokesman said at the time: "The PM noted that the garrison enables the UK to provide a permanent presence in South Asia while also providing an opportunity for British forces to undertake extreme environment training.”

Britain keeps a battalion of the Royal Gurkha Rifles in Brunei in an agreement with the Sultan, and keeps another battalion in Folkestone.

The Sultanate also has a separate military which includes a reserve Gurkha unit, made mainly of former British Gurkhas who decided to stay on in the country after retiring.

A defence source said it would likely be this reserve force that would be affected by any deal with India.

The source said: "There's absolutely no question that the Royal Gurkha Rifles battalion is going to replaced by Indian Gurkhas."
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "The employment of forces from other countries in Brunei is a matter for the Government of Brunei."

Via DefenceNews

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Centre to implement One Rank One Pension (OROP) Scheme, issues implementation table

11:11 PM

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OROP

One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme will be implemented by the Centre beginning next financial year. The Union Government on Wednesday issued the tables for implementation of the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme, thereby fulfilling the long-standing demand of the defence personnel after 42 year. Although, a section of veterans is still protesting against the provisions of the pension scheme, Centre seems firm on going ahead with the version rolled out before them in September.

The annual recurring financial implication on account of implementation of OROP at the current rate will be approximately Rs. 7500 crore.

Although, the ex-servicemen had demanded the base date to kept at April 1, 2014, Government has decided to keep it at July 1, 2014. The arrears from July 1 to December 31 will be Rs 10,900 crore. Annual recurring financial implication on account of OROP implementation at pension scale of 2013 would cost a recurring amount of Rs 7,500 crore until the next revision.

Centre to implement One Rank One Pension (OROP)

The payment of arrears and revision of pension under OROP is to be made by the Pension Disbursing Authorities in four installments, except for family pensioners and pensioners in receipt of gallantry awards who will be paid arrears in one installment.

The amount of pension will be revised once in five years. Ex-servicemen had strongly objected to the clause, calling it ‘Five rank, one pension’. Instead, they had demanded the revision of pension at every one or two years. However, incorporating the populist demand of the army veterans would further increase the burden on the economy.

The total increase in the Defence Budget for pensions is estimated to go up from Rs. 54,000 crore (BE 2015-16) to around Rs. 65,000 crore (proposed BE 2016-17), thereby increasing the Defence Pension outlay by about 20 percent.

The OROP scheme is set to benefit over 18 lakh ex-servicemen and war widows.

Source india.com & aninews

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Gorkha Regiment India's Most Badass Regiment, Nightmare For the Enemies

2:00 PM

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indian army

Gorkha Regiment Is India's Most Badass Regiment And A Nightmare For Our Enemies

Writes Anshul Gandhi

“If a man says he‘s not afraid of dying, he’s either lying or he’s a Gorkha.”

This quote by Sam Manekshaw, Indian Army’s first Field Marshal, aptly describes what it means to be a Gorkha. Indian Army Gorkhas are meant to be fearless and as any military personnel worth his salt would know, they are also the most worthy warriors of the Indian Army.

Courage on war front and innumerable gallantry awards notwithstanding, the aura of Gorkhas on the field demands immense respect and makes the enemy tremble with fear. Their personal weapon is a ‘Kukri’, which is a 12-inch long curved knife and can be found with every Gorkha rifle personnel. The Kukri or Khukri is also embedded in their badges attested on the uniform.

Gorkha Regiment India

The Gorkhas became an integral part of pre-independence British army after British General Sir David Ochterlony saw the Gorkha men fight against the British East Indian Company. From then on, Gorkhas have been a part of Afghan Wars, Indian Rebellion of 1857, and other United Nations peace keeping missions in Lebanon and Sierra Leone too.

After independence, out of the 10 Gorkha regiments at the time, six joined the Indian army. An 11th regiment was re-raised post-independence after many men from 7th and 10th regiment which had defected to the British army, joined the Indian army.

Currently, the Indian army is indebted to the service of 40,000 brave Gorkha soldiers in 42 different battalions of 7 regiments. One of the most famous platoon of Gorkhas, 1/11 Gorkha Rifles is one of the most decorated with 11 vir Chakras, 2 Maha Vir Chakras, 3 Ashok Chakras and 1 Param Vir Chakra. The stories of its Param Vir Chakra winner Lt. Manoj Kumar Pandey are a case study in their glorious history of courageous war footings.

Another famous battalion of Gorkhas is the third battalion of the 4 Gorkha Rifles which was instrumental in Operation Meghdoot in Siachen. The 8 Gorkha Rifles are also have a glorious past as they produced one of the only two Field Marshals for India – Sam Manekshaw. India’s current chief of army staff, General Dalbir Singh Suhag, is also from the Gorkha Regiment which is a testament of the most incredible services of Gorkhas.

On this Republic Day, we salute these brave men of the Gorkhas for their courage and sacrifice, may they bring more glory to our nation!

Source mensxp

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