Gurkhas of Nepal recruited by private military companies?

GUWAHATI: Nepalese Gurkhas, considered to be the world’s most fearsome fighters, have reportedly joined private military companies.

According to reports, many Nepali Gurkhas have joined Russian private military company Wagner Group.
It should be noted that Nepali Gurkhas are being lured to join private military companies like the Wagner Group after the Indian Army recruitment ends.

Nepal’s 200-year-old practice of recruiting Gurkhas into the Indian army ended last year when the Indian government replaced long-term employment with short-term contracts and stopped pensions under the Agnipath scheme.
On the other hand, Russia has granted citizenship to Nepalese youth, which is also seen as a major attraction for the Gurkhas.
On May 16, Russian authorities eased access to Russian citizenship after one year of military service. Since then, hundreds of Nepali youths have joined Russian forces as contract soldiers, The Diplomat recently reported.
Additionally, China is also considering recruiting Nepali Gurkhas into its army.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has criticized the Indian government for closing the door on Nepali Gurkhas joining the Indian Army.
“The ill-conceived Agnipath scheme has disrupted the 200-year-old recruitment process and no Gurkha soldiers will join the Indian Army in 2023,” Jairam Ramesh said.

“This impasse is leading to the recruitment of Gurkhas by private military companies such as the Wagner Group who recently rebelled against the Russian government,” Ramesh said.
He added: “There are disturbing reports that China is trying to take advantage of the vacuum created by Agnipath to recruit Gurkhas.”
“In its misguided and one-sided attempts at reform, the Modi government is once again destroying the political, cultural and social capital built over decades and endangering our national security,” the Congress leader said.
Nepali Gurkhas are considered to be the best warriors as they were recruited by British colonial army and also recruited by many other countries like India, France and Singapore.