It would be in the best interest of the three countries if they respect the 1947 Tripartite Agreement
The Nepal government has halted the recruitment process of the Gurkhas into the Indian Army under a new scheme called 'Agnipath' until it became clear what would happen to them after their retirement four years later. In June, India unveiled Agnipath scheme aiming at enlisting youths into the Indian military on a four-year contract to lower the average age of its armed forces and to do away with pension scheme under which the Indian government has to spend billions of rupees every year. The Indian government had earlier communicated with the Nepal government through its Embassy in Kathmandu about the planned recruitment process, which should have started in Butwal on August 25 and Dharan on September 1. The recruitment process of the Gurkhas into the Indian Army has now been stalled until further notification as the Nepal has yet to decide on the issue. As per the scheme, those youths who are recruited into the Indian Army would serve for four years; 25 per cent of them would be recruited in the regular force and the rest would get retirement along with a package of IRs 1.1 million in cash. This scheme raised a lot of controversy within India, where people resorted to violent protests across the country, saying it would deprive them of long-term employment in the Indian armed forces.
Nepali nationals or Gurkhas are recruited into the Indian and British armies under the 1947 Tripartite Agreement among Nepal, India and the United Kingdom, reached shortly after India got independence from British rule. Six of the 11 Gurkha regiments were included into the Indian Army while the rest were retained by the UK. Around 32,000 Gurkhas are still serving in the Indian Army. The Gurkhas have been serving in the British army since 1816 under a deal stuck with the British East India Company. The British-Gurkhas were also deployed in the First and World War II during which an estimated 2 lakh Gurkhas were believed to have been killed.
The government has not made up its mind on this issue as the political parties and security experts fear that the retired trained soldiers would be jobless after serving for four years in the Indian Army, and it might also create security problem within the country. Those who are relived of the military service would not be able to pursue higher education or start other professions. India's plan is to recruit youths aged between 17.5 and 23. Nepal's law has defined that a person below 18 years of age is a child, who cannot be hired in any government service. The most worrying part of the Agnipath scheme is it creates uncertain future of those who are relieved of the Indian Army after four years of the service. Therefore, the Nepal government must clarify its position on this issue without any delay. It would be in the best interest of the three countries if they respect the 1947 Tripartite Agreement. If that is not possible in the changed context, then Nepal and India and, Nepal and the UK must reach separate bilateral agreements regarding the recruitment of the Gurkhas in their armed forces. The Nepal government should not give its consent to the Agnipath scheme unless India is ready to review it as per the letters and spirit of the 1947 Tripartite Agreement that governs the recruitment process of the Gurkhas in India and the UK.
Mortality rate
A recent report at the Department of Health Services reveals that the mortality rate from non-communicable diseases is going up as compared to communicable diseases. This could have serious ramifications for the health sector in Nepal. The ratio between non-communicable diseases and communicable diseases is about to be equal as non-communicable diseases account for 49 per cent of the health burden. This means that there will be more expenditure on treatment costs than on the preventive aspect. Again, a significant chunk of non-communicable diseases are attributed to smoking and the partaking of alcohol.
As a result, a significant proportion of the population suffers from high blood pressure and diabetes not to talk about obesity, among other diseases. The concerned should now make plans on both the preventive and treatment aspect of diseases. Therefore, Nepal needs to be prepared for the prevention and treatment of non-communicable diseases. This might be expensive so the best thing would be to encourage healthy lifestyle of the people by discouraging smoking and consumption of alcohol for the mortality rate from non-communicable diseases to come down. Clean drinking water, hygienic living, and nutritious food also matter.
A version of this article appears in the print on August 31, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
