Nepal crisis hits India's plans to recruit Gorkhas in Army

Nepal crisis hits India's plans to recruit Gorkhas in Army

New Delhi, May 4 (PTI) The worsening political crisis in Nepal has badly hit Indian Army's plans to recruit Gorkhas from the Himalayan nation into its infantry battalions this year, following a two-year lull, to fill up vacancies.
Army sources said here today that it had chalked out plans for enlisting Gorkhas from Nepal into seven Gorkha Rifles regiments, but the present crisis had led it to review the plans.

"Currently there are about 1,500 vacancies for Gorkhas from Nepal in the 35 battalions of 800-men each from the seven Gorkha Rifles regiments. But this crisis has led us to a rethink. It would be difficult to carry out the recruitment rallies at Dharan in eastern Nepal and Pokhara in central Nepal, which are the two recruitment centres for Gorkhas," sources said.

About two years ago, at the height of Maoists insurgency in Nepal, India had stopped its recruitment rallies in the Himalayan kingdom.

After the Pushp Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' led Maoists were voted to power in the first democratic elections last year, he had stated that Gorkhas from Nepal should not get recruited into the Indian Army. PTI

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