Kathmandu, 02 November (H.S.): Former Indian Army personnel staged a protest in Kathmandu on Monday, demanding the resumption of Gorkha recruitment into the Indian Army, which has remained suspended since the introduction of the Agnipath scheme by the Government of India.

The Indian Ex-Servicemen Welfare Association organised a demonstration in Kathmandu, while the All Nepal Indian Ex-Servicemen Welfare Association held a protest at Maitighar in the Nepalese capital.

Gorkha recruitment has been on hold since the Indian government introduced the Agnipath scheme. Earlier, on August 12, former Gorkha soldiers and young people staged a protest in Pokhara, demanding that the recruitment process be restarted.

Similarly, during Indian Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth’s visit to Nepal on August 19, former Gorkha soldiers had urged him to take the initiative to facilitate the resumption of recruitment. However, no concrete agreement was reached on the issue during the Army Chief’s visit to Nepal.

The protesters also called for reliable employment opportunities for unemployed Nepalese youth. They further rejected a secretary-level decision and demanded that arrangements be made to renew the registration of associations and organisations representing former Gorkha soldiers.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar