(July 27, 2009) Hundreds of Gurkha veterans and their families turned out on Sunday
to welcome British actress and campaigner Joanna Lumley in Kathmandu at the start
of her first tour of the Himalayan nation, witnesses said. Britain announced in May
that all Gurkha veterans who had served at least four years in the army were eligible
for settlement in the United Kingdom after a campaign by Lumley, the star of the "Absolutely
Fabulous" show, whose late father worked with the Gurkhas in the World War II. Prior
to that decision, only those who retired after 1997 when the Gurkhas were rebased
from Hong Kong to Britain were eligible. Gurkhas say there are about 26,000 ex-soldiers
in Nepal who get a British pension. Analysts said the right to residency in Britain
would help Gurkha veterans give quality education and job opportunities for their
children - opportunities that are inadequate in Nepal. The Gurkhas, who hail from
the foothills of the Himalayas, are known for their loyalty and fierce fighting skills.
They have been serving the British army since 1815 when an agreement was struck by
the British East India Company after it suffered heavy casualties during an invasion
of Nepal. In recent years, the Gurkhas have served in the Falklands, Iraq and Afghanistan.