NEW DELHI: Amidst Nepal's recent stand to put on hold the recruitment of the youth of Nepal joining the Indian Army’s Gorkha Infantry regiments India has made it clear that it will continue the recruitment of Nepalese youth under the Agnipath Scheme. Nepal has announced to put hold on recruitment of its youths till further order.
Arindam Bagchi, Spokesperson Indian foreign ministry said, “We have been recruiting Gorkha soldiers into the Indian Army for a long time. And we look forward to continuing to recruit Gorkha soldiers in the Indian Army under the Agnipath scheme,”
A recruitment rally of the Indian Army was planned in Butwal City of the Himalayan country from August 25. A day ago, Nepalese foreign minister Narayan Khadka and Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava held a meeting to discuss the issues. In the meeting, the Nepalese side informed him to wait on the plan to recruit Nepali youths under the new scheme.
The minister told the ambassador that “if the Nepalese youths are to be recruited for 4-year with no pensions, there is a need to discuss the matter with all political parties in Nepal and build consensus. Till further decision it should be put on hold.”
It was in June that the Indian Government announced the new recruitment scheme under which youths between age 17 and a half and 21 years are to be inducted under Agnipath Scheme for a period of four years with 25 percent getting inducted permanently after it. The rest of the people would not be entitled to pension.
Prior to the introduction of the Agnipath scheme, the Nepalese youths were being recruited under a Tripartite Agreement between India, Nepal and Britain which was signed in 1947, allowing continued recruitment of Nepalese into the armies of India and Britain.
The Tripartite Treaty called the ‘Memorandum of Agreement on Recruitment of Gorkha Troops’ was signed on May 1, 1947, and ratified on November 9, 1947.
Later in 1950, a Treaty of Peace and Friendship was signed between the two countries which reinforced the right of Nepalese citizens to work in India and for equal national treatment.
There was no mention of any terms of engagement or other benefits in the annexure.
A source in the Indian Army said that the Agnipath Scheme is neither violating the Tripartite Agreement nor discriminating anyone. “The Gorkhas would get the same salaries and facilities as what their Indian counterparts would.”
The Indian Army was to hold recruitment rallies in Nepal in two phases between August 25 and September 7 in Butwal and September 18 onwards in Dharan.
At present around 25,000 Nepal Domicile Gorkhas are serving in the Indian Army’s Gorkha regiments in its 43 battalions which are composed of Indian soldiers as well as those recruited from Nepal.
The development has taken place ahead of Indian Army chief General Manoj Pande’s planned five-day official visit to Nepal on September 4. During the visit Gen Pande will be meeting with the country’s top civil and military leadership. Also, it is to carry forward the tradition of the two Armies and General Pande will receive the title of honorary General of Nepal Army to be conferred by President Bidya Devi Bhandari.
As per the tradition the exchange of visits of the army chiefs of Nepal and India takes place to confer the title of honorary General to both the army chiefs.