Warriors in a Himalayan kingdom

A famous Nepali export item, the Gurkha has proven his mettle in theatres of war around the world. RAMU SHARMA looks at a book, replete with anecdotes, that salutes the skills of this brave, fighting machine.

IT is after a very long time that a book on the Gurkhas has hit the market. Warriors of a rare breed, the men of this community have earned the admiration of everyone, including on occasions, even the enemy. By 1947, the Gurkhas had served as either casual or regular soldiers in the British Army for 132 years. ``The Gurkha Brigade was a corps d'elite within the Indian Army, with a fighting record second to none: Gurkhas had won no less than 10 of the 26 Victoria Crosses awarded to other ranks of the Indian Army during the Second World War, though Gurkha battalions comprised only about a fifth of the total number of Indian Army infantry units''.

Since Partition, the Gurkhas have remained with both the British and Indian Armies, their reputation maintained if not enhanced by the honours they have earned in every situation since then. But there is so much to be discovered about these wiry, hardened warriors from the mountain kingdom of Nepal. And providing insight into these very loveable fighters is Tony Gould who served in the 7th Gurkha Rifles in Malaya, India and Hong Kong. He is a journalist (he was the editor of the New Statesman and Society) and author of The life And Times Of Colin MacInnes. A Summer Plague, Polio And Its Survivors and, the book under review.

The Gurkhas are hardy fighters, one of the best in hand to hand combat; their khukri, a curved flash of steel, the deadliest of weapons in any ugly situation. Professional soldiers they are and absolutely loyal to the country they are fighting for; their fierce pride and a sense of duty overriding all other considerations.

The British were the ones who saw great possibilities in the Gurkha - as a fighting man. It was two-way traffic where the rulers got what they wanted. Tony Gould writes how successive rulers of Nepal were cajoled into ensuring a supply of superb troops for the Raj. ``How the more astute of those rulers manipulated the relationship for their own benefit reveals a military reality that is in many ways more remarkable than the myth''.

These warriors were the only export item of the mountain kingdom and the various kings, each burdened with his own brand of compulsion, fully exploited this, without entertaining the possibilities of a nationalistic fervour capturing the minds of these simple people. Imperial Warriors... is replete with unforgettable tales of conflict, from Ochterlony's campaign against Nepal - Britain's first experience of Gurkha fighting skills - to the Gurkha role in suppressing the Mutiny of 1857 and in the First and Second World Wars. But the book is much more than a chronicle of aregiment's history. Gould makes a special effort to be sensitive to the racial and political undertones of a unique military relationship (no Gurkha, no matter how competent or brave, could become a full officer, until very recent times) and is alive to the dangers of patronising the Nepalese.

Gould, who served in the 7th Gurkha Rifles in Malaya, India and Hong Kong, has gone beyond just extolling the qualities of his subject. He has also touched upon the problems the Gurkhas/ Indian troops faced in the world wars, sent to the European front with summer wear more suited to the hot Indian conditions and fighting not a trained enemy in bitter cold conditions. But the Gurkhas/ Indians survived the ordeal, coming out with flying colours.

He has also put to rest the general feeling among the British that the Gurkha/Indias were unhygienic, leaving their trenches dirty. He quotes from Bagot-Chester who was disgusted at the state of trenches the 2/3 Gurkhas took over from the battalion of London Regiment: ``Some say Indian troops are dirty and have dirty habits compared to European soldiers, but my experience is the reverse. I would much rather take over a trench which had been occupied by an Indian regiment, Gurkhas or native, than one occupied by a British regiment. The filth and smell in any trench when I took over was awful''.

There are any number of anecdotes to place the Gurkha on the high pedestal as has been done by the author in this book. At the same time there are episodes listed to mark the difference between the Gurkhas and some of the Indian recruits.

This one by Rifleman Tilbir Thapa goes a long way in distinguishing the Gurkha from the rest of the troops. ``He (Tilbir Thapa) amused me with his stories of the fearful shamming sick which goes on among the Indians of native regiments there. I am glad to say I have not heard of a single case of a Gurkha scrim shanking in this way''. The reference here is to the self- wounds inflicted by some of the Indian troops in order to avoid combat.

And there is this bit from a German officer arrested in broad daylight during the First World War. ``He explained that he had been hiding in a dug-out when the British bombardment was opened (March 10, 1915) and once the firing was over, walked down the main road to give himself up. When asked if he met any of ``our'' troops. He responded, ``Oh yes, lots of them, but they were all Gurkhas and they saluted me.''

``This suggestion that they (Gurkhas) might mistake a German officer for one of their own is part of the portrayal of Gurkhas as loveable but none too bright little men favoured by loving, but patronising, British officers. A variation of this is seen in the same story of Rifleman Gane Gurung of the 2/3rd Gurkhas, who on the very same day (March 10, 1915) burst into a house in Neuve Chapelle and emerged with eight German captives just as the 2nd Rifle Brigade, the spearhead of the 8th Division's attack, arrived from another direction''.

There are innumerable anecdotes depicting the Gurkha reaction to situations, all of them eulogistic, every one of them necessarily lifted from the war front. There could have been no other place. The author's own admiration for the Gurkhas is all too obvious but he has at the same time remained true to his role of a narrator and brought out some very interesting facts about the history of Nepal with special emphasis on its geo-political location. More importantly, he has taken due cognisance of the rulers of the mountain kingdom with special emphasis on how the whole system has evolved over the years.

For the Indian reader, most of what Gould has written about Nepal could well be new. Not much importance is given in this country to the mountain kingdom except during the elections. The Indian view of the Gurkha is rather limited. They know that he is a first class soldier and then there is his reputation in sport, in boxing and football, the two games in which a number of these men from Nepal have worn India colours.

The book is a welcome documented addition to the history of a noble people. (The publishers, perhaps aware of the tremendous interest on the subject in this country, have quoted a special price of 15 pounds, a clear cut of five pounds from the original price).

Imperial Warriors - Britain and the Gurkhas, Tony Gould, Granta Books, Great Britain, special Indian price, 15 pounds.

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