On 21 June, Himal organised a discussion in Kathmandu entitled "To Fight Or Not to Fight: Nepalis in Foreign Uniform." Below is a summary of the discussion in
The Gurkha lore is a British creation. It was no invention but borne out of the respect for their bravery that was vouchsafed by no less a person than Gen.
Tenzing Sherpa the climber, Bhanu Bhakta the First Poet, and Gajey Ghaley the soldier. These were the text-book heroes of Nepali school children in the 1950s and 1960s. Above
Hundreds of thousands of lives have been touched by Gurkha soldiering. Many toasts have been drunk to and books written about the Johnny Gurkhas, but reference to their womenfolk has
During the very short history of urbanisation in modem Nepal, remarkable changes have taken place. There were less than 10 towns in the 1960s: today the number exceeds 30. About
Like so many other political, economic and cultural processes, the issue of Nepalis in foreign military and pars-military forces is often obscured by multi-layered veils. These veils not
Many people already know of the connection between the Gurkhas and the British Army. This relationship stretches back more than 175 years to 1815, when the British East India Company
Is royalty being paid by the British or Indian governments, either to the Nepali Government or to some other entity, for the privilege of recruiting Gurkha soldiers? It certainly began
If you can withstand asphyxiation by the combined fumes of the local latrine and the Patan buses enter Patan through Patan Dhoka. If you can find your way through, the
The art, culture and ambience of old, medieval Patan has almost disappeared under the assault of historical neglect and runaway "modernisation"
Buddhi Man Shakya, a 77-year-old
