Note: I started writing this a couple of weeks ago, the government sorted it out before I posted it. Although not because it was the right thing to do, but because they got caught thieving a lot of cash.
His pointless defence of his illegitimate ruling that Gurkhas shouldn’t all be allowed British citizenship is just embarrassing.
But Phil Woolas, the immigration minister, said it had never been the government’s plan to grant settlement rights to all retired Gurkhas. If that policy was adopted, there would be a risk that up to 100,000 people could move to the UK.
100,000 isn’t many, The Polish government expects 133,000 Poles will be returning home by the end of this year so there will be plenty of space (oh, and 200,000 British left in 2006). And anyway that’s not the point, simply by joining the regiment they’ve earned British citizenship, but lets have a look at what the government think they need to do:
either one of the following…
- Three years continuous residence in the UK during or after service
- Close family in the UK
- A bravery award of level one to three
- Service of 20 years or more in the Gurkha brigade
- Chronic or long-term medical condition caused or aggravated by service
… or 2 of the following
- Awarded a UK MoD disability pension but no longer have a chronic medical condition
- Mentioned in dispatches
- Service of 10 years, or a campaign medal for active service
With the exception of the first 2 (which he had no choice about) Phil Woolas has done none of those, in fact the only thing of note he has done is join the Anti-Nazi league, which he did 30 years after WWII so wasn’t putting himself in much danger. So apart from the lucky accident of being born here he doesn’t really have strong links with the UK…
On the other hand
Tul Bahadur Pun after his entire platoon was kill by Japanese machine guns ran through 30 yards of mud straight at them and killed 3 of the soldiers manning them (the other 5 where so scared they ran away).
Or Sher Bahadur Thapa who, singled-handed, stopped several machine guns firing, covered a withdrawal and saved 2 wounded men.
Another choice is Ganju Lama who took out 2 tanks, with the 15kg PIAT gun which he was carrying with a broken wrist. And after that he killed everyone trying to escape from the tanks.
How about Bhanbhagta Gurung whose plan to stop a sniper pinning you down is to stand up and just shoot the guy. His plan for people shooting at him from foxholes is less nonchalant but equally effective – run at them throwing grenades, until you run out of grenades then you just drop a smoke bomb and stab anyone leaving the bunker.
And saving the best for last, you see a lot of people winning the VC for doing stuff single-handed, Lachhiman Gurung really did. After throwing back 2 of the grenades that landed in his trench the 3rd blew off his fingers, and broke his arm, and cut his face, body and right leg. So he spent the next 4 hours firing at the Japanese with his rifle & 1 good hand killing 31.
But I guess these aren’t the sort of people we want in the country.