Kathmandu, April 8:

The British Gurkha Welfare Society (BGWS), an ex-Gurkha soldiers’ association, today said it would launch a fresh legal battle for equal rights for the ex-Gurkhas and those in the service.

In a press meet, Tekendra Dal Dewan, president of the BGWS, said they would move the British court and also appeal to the International Court of Justice for rights for the Gurkhas on par with their British counterparts.

He said they are currently engaged in preparation of a lawsuit against the discrimination against the Gurkhas. “The recent announcement of the British government to provide pension equal to that of the British citizens, was made to fool the Gurkhas. It actually applies to only those who joined the army after 1997,” he said.

According to him, a 1997 recruited is now serving his tenth year in service, meaning there is not a single person who is eligible to claim the pension announced.

“On top of all, the cut-off date should be completely removed. Gurkhas served the British Crown for about 200 years and hundreds sacrificed their life to protect the Crown,” he said.

Criticising the GAESO’s campaign, he said, “GAESO’s legal move failed to yield results because the case proved too weak, so we have decided to launch the campaign,” he said.