Gurkhas

last SG · 2006-08-07T11:51:07+00:00

thought u have friends overseas who help u test the camo uniforms? get them to buy 4 u then. easier that way too.

Pitot SG

I think they are in tekong for security reasons.

Btw, they are rich. My sec sch classmate, a son of a gurkha here.. is in the USA studying now.

Fine men. Always see them jogging in my neighbourhood. They like to jog in the former bidadari cemetry too.

acwire_2125 SG

Hey saline, my friends in the UK could get it for me, but the rate from Pounds to SGD is quite high, so I thought of the Gurkhas. Since they have it in Singapore, might as well ask around to see if they do sell. Maybe some of you here can give me an answer as to where I can get the Authentic British Camo from.

Any one from Gurkhas?

lwflee SG

Not true. Their salary is roughly that of a British soldiers. However, you are right that there was inequality - but that is in pension, etc. The problem is that there is some kind of agreement between Nepal, the UK and India that Gurkhas in the British Army should not be paid too much. The worry is that they might bring their huge pensions back to their homeland.

Anyway, that seems to have been resolved already. Now Gurkhas in the UK IIRC serve under the same conditions as BRitish Soldiers.

IIRC a British Soldier who serves out his 22 year contract and attains WO rank will get about 10 000 GBP/year pension. Not too shabby.

Bhagat SG

Originally posted by moca:

Sorry dude, if I caused any offence to anypne. Indian women are terrific beauties, too - just look at all the Miss World contests they have won. My slip of tongue. What I should mean is that a lot of Nepali girls are good-looking but with a slight difference in appearance. Some look oriental.

No comments. I had mentioned that I did not want to comment on an issue that I did not know much. I only believe in beauty of the heart and not the external beauty.

And the comment about Indian business men it was my personal experience that the Nepali themselves are over-shadowed as a business community by Indians and Tibetans in their own home tuft.
Don't know about this whether benificial or not. Hence no comments.

The Gurkha are indeed long ago descendants/related to the Rajputs as I had also read. But it is generally accepted that the Gurkhas are from Nepal - as people of the original Ghorka kingdom.
Do you think that India is just a nation that was formed 50 years ago. It is a civilisation that originated thousand and thousand years before. India is a mix of all cultures. You can see all religions, creed and people here in India.

In that region there are a lot of migration back and forth. For example there is a large Tibetan community in Nepal and they have a lot of very ancient Tibetan stupas in Nepal. And Bhuddism is a recognised main religion of Nepal along with Hinduism. And there are now young generations of Tibetans in Nepal whom have never ever seen Tibet.
Do you think that India means hinduism. It's not. Hindusim is just a part of India like Bhuddism, Islam, Christianity, etc.

But you wouldn't say Tibetans are from Nepal, any more than you would say Ghurkhas come from India. A lot of Ghurkas in India have been born and bred there and never seen Nepal but that is because of the long service record of Ghurka soldiers in the Indian Army. But the originality of Ghurka is still Nepal.
Tibetans in Nepal may be or may not be considered Nepalis. But in India we consider them as Indians since our relation is not a few year relation but a historic one. There are many Tibeteans in India, those who fled the communist China and their children who are citizens of India.

There are many generations of Chinese in Singapore and Chinese is one of the main language here but if you tell someone Chinese people come from Singapore it would be very confusing.

Chinese civilisation is an age old civilisation like the Indian civilisation. If you say the reverse as in your quote it will not work, like you said Chinese people came from Singapore is similar to saying Indians came from Nepal.

It must be Nepalis(Gurkhas) came from India or Singaporeans came from China.

Bhagat SG

And the comment about Nepali girls being sold into prostitution in India is unfortunately all too true. Just google: Nepal protitution India.

Here are some excerpts:

"The BBC's Martha Kearney travelled to Nepal to investigate the growing trade in child sex. There, it's believed that something like 100,000 young girls have been sold, often by their parents, to the appalling brothels of Bombay in India."

"The trafficking of girls from Nepal into India for the purpose of prostitution is probably the busiest 'slave traffic' of its kind anywhere in the world. (Tim McGirk, "Nepal's Lost Daughters, 'India's soiled goods," Nepal/India: News, 27 January 1997)"

"Every year, thousands of Nepalese girls, some as young as 11 are sent to or procured for brothels in the big Indian cities, like Bombay or Calcutta." (http://www.plan-uk.org/wherewework/asia/india/childprostitution/)

Prostitution is a global phenomenon and in some states it is legal
Prostitution: Should it be legalised?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/1271865.stm

Chinese prostitute book sparks outrage
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1475842.stm

saline SG

well... think that way is easier. doubt if the gurkhas will sell u or give u their uniform.
u think about it, how is the sentry at mt vernon gonna reply when somebody walks up to them and ask if they can buy their DPMs?
although u can try asking them. no harm rite?
anyway, if u are really keen, u can try trading with ur friends in the uk. that way, it'll be cheaper perhaps? try trading SAF's badges with one set of their DPMs.

acwire_2125 SG

Good idea!

Hey, BTW, Tomorrow National DAy, you think Mt Vernon camp open? I thought of emailing the Commander of the Gurkha Contingent and ask them. You guys think can?

Thought of going to the camp tomorrow to see if I can buy their uniform.

ferryman2393 SG

the gurkhas presence showed how confident the SG government is with their local force.

they're good dogs nonetheless.

sgf SG

No no. A Gurkha standing outside LKY's house instead of someone from Security Command speaks volumes.

acwire_2125 SG

haha! It just means that he is actually using it for his own security!

LazerLordz SG

which is something I disapprove of.

pwnz0r SG

Adding on, the Gurkhas in Singapore are actually not encouraged to mingle with the local population. In fact, after they are discharged from service due to age, they are not automatically granted PR and many went back to Nepal. They are highly discouraged and perhaps prohibited from marrying within the Singapore population. That is why their compound in Mount Vernon resembles that of a town.

Many years ago, there was an issue of Gurkhas not having sufficient monies for retirement, in UK. This was changed not too long ago with a pension fund set up specially for them.

Indeed, I've heard that Gurkhas in Singapore are paid better than their British counterparts. But there is official confirmation one way or the other.

Also, there is supposed to be a security organisation set up by ex-Gurkhas hiring retired Gurkhas to be security specialist in Singapore.

With regards to that statement of selection of 2nd best goes to Singapore, that is largely untrue. They have set amount of recruitment year on year, and the criteria is fixed. There is little indication one fella is better than the other. The pool of men chosen is hardly distinguishable from one another and there is no means to accurately accertain who is really No. 1. Kinda like our officers in SAF nowadays Mr. Green

In times of conflict, I believe they will kept as seperate force from the SAF and will primarily be used on the local ground. They are not meant as an elite force like the commandos or a main fighting force like the SAF.

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