Sharpening the Tip of a Pen While Aiming a Bomb from a Drone

"Sharpening the Tip of a Pen While Aiming a Bomb from a Drone: PREM"
(Reader's Note)

- Govinda Belbase

Some Nepali scholars have analysed the relationship between Nepalese who have served in the British Army. A military officer has brought forth a book that offers further critical analysis on whether those evaluations were just. This provides readers an opportunity to compare the analyses of both non-military and experienced military scholars.

Prem Ale is a scholar who has also accumulated 31 years of military experience. I got my hands on his 390-page book and read it.

Even before reading the book, its title reminded me Bhupi Sherchan. The title "Gorkhali Valor and Subservience to Authority" echoed Bhupi Sherchan’s poem "Hami" (We) in my mind:

"In every generation, Drona Acharya comes to us And demands Guru Dakshina(Fee) And we, happily, on his cue, Offer him our thumb as a gift."

There are many sentiments about the Gurkhas that Nepali scholars, who are distant from military experience, have brought forth based on assumptions. However, the sentiments expressed by a scholar with military experience can be seen as a refining touch on gold.

Scholar Prem has mentioned the harsh reality that knowledge about the practice of Gurkha recruitment and service is limited within the confines of understanding. The author also observes that the discrimination in salaries and pensions of the Gurkhas went unnoticed for a long time. He writes: "While stationed in Brunei, Singapore, and Hong Kong (i.e., the Far East), British Gurkhas remained unaware of the discrimination." (Page 325)

This highlights a lack of awareness regarding inequality and the philosophical side of creating an equal society. Philosopher John Rawls' argument comes to mind here:

"Philosopher John Rawls suggests that we should imagine we sit behind a veil of ignorance that keeps us from knowing who we are and identifying with our personal circumstances."

In the previous generations, it was believed that giving food touched by a lower caste to a higher caste person would result in being born as a lower caste in the next life. Such ignorance led to the acceptance of caste-based inequality. Similarly, the notion that the 'white sahibs' are more entitled to enjoy greater privileges than other races, and the ignorance of equality, are points the author brings forward with factual backing.

The author expresses concerns that the British divided the Nepali society by categorizing it into "castes fit for recruitment and castes unfit for recruitment" (Page 73).

After 207 years, he finds some solace in the fact that caste-based discrimination in the British Gurkha army has diminished.

Many facts surrounding the British Nepali soldiers, commonly referred to as Malaya Gurkhas, have been discussed. There are extreme cases of injustice as well. However, the author, Prem Ale, has managed to gather additional facts that had been overlooked. The title "The Homosexual Gurkha Created by the World War" touches upon an area left out of previous analyses. Though one might argue that the author has included more of reporting than analysis in his book, it still deserves credit for bringing this issue to light and rescuing it from obscurity within the intellectual community.

He writes: "The British Army began to recognize same-sex relationships from January 12, 2000. Before that, such relationships were considered illegal and immoral within the British military..."

Though only a few facts are provided under the subheading "The Homosexual Stories of Gurkhas," the significance of this adds brightens the light of the book. This fact will fuel further analysis of Nepali society. The background of the cultural significance of Maruni dance, often included in Deusi-Bhailo performances, will have great value for sociologists. Even a few of his words might spark intellectual debates and open new horizons for further exploration. Whether this spark turns into a wildfire or not will be left to the future.

He writes: "In Hong Kong, there was a separate nightclub for homosexuals. At that time, every year in Britain, 200 to 250 homosexuals were expelled from the military. However, no history shows Gurkhas being expelled solely due to their homosexuality, though Gurkhas who married non-Nepalis were expelled."

The author has courageously revealed facts about Nepali youth who were victims of sexual exploitation. If the author had explored the intersection between British religious and cultural perspectives on homosexuality and the norms within Hindu practices, the book would have provided even greater intellectual nourishment.

To evaluate the author purely based on this book might be unfair. However, his outlook seems to prioritize national pride and loyalty over sheer rationality. This is evident when he supports the Gurkha officers who did not join the Indian independence movement alongside Subhas Chandra Bose.

This book also serves as a testament to the author's attempt at becoming an intellectual. Still, it gives an impression of having failed to maintain balance in the moral ground of society. The author's mind, shaped by a life in the military, seems to weigh ethical issues based on Western hegemony. The author remains silent on the role of religious division played during the British exit from India.

The author raises an important point about the 1947 tripartite agreement, which has allowed Gurkhas to continue serving in the British Army. He emphasizes that the Nepalese side was represented by the Prime Minister, while lower-ranking officials signed on behalf of the British and Indian governments. This raises questions about the sovereignty of such an agreement. The author sees it as an exploitation of Nepali youth under British imperialist policies, and he strongly argues for ending this practice within the next 15-20 years.

Prem Ale, with his unique military experience and scholarly perspective, has brought a fresh approach to this subject, one that deserves recognition for its significance. However, readers like myself, who sought deeper emotional reflections and personal experiences, were left somewhat unfulfilled. Nevertheless, the expectation of future works remains.