The Gurkhas

I've recently moved back to the family home for a while. It's just outside Farnham, on the Surrey/Hants border. Yesterday, I found myself again in the centre of Aldershot, the small garrison town that has for a long time has been the Home of the British Army - but now finds itself somewhat impoverished by economics and the fact that many of the military on active service no longer live nearby.

Cuts in Army budgets have been hitting the news recently - and so has Aldershot - due to the increasing number Gurkhas living in the town. Serving Gurkas and their families are now being joined by retired Gurkas, their partners and young children who have recently won the right to live in the UK. Many locals welcome more Gurkhas - as highly respected former soldiers whose bravery and resourcefulness are justifiably legendary. Others see the growing number of Nepalese (10% of the population) as a burden on their local resources, and a threat to 'their' way of life.

Some of the retirees require specialist medical care and a few of the children of those in active service have failed to keep out of trouble - yet in this respect they are no different from many other locals. The biggest sticking point is language and cultural support - there are retired Gurkhas and their wives who arrive speaking little English - and need help adjusting to civilian life. Now the Gurkhas have won the right to stay in the UK, thanks to the national campaign led by Joanna Lumley, their numbers are set to increase further.

This article from January 2011 gives the story in more depth - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/8339467/The-Gurkhas-in-Al... and the local debate continues here: http://www.gethampshire.co.uk/news/s/2089191_nepalese_debate

So, on a crisp Thursday morning, what did the centre of Aldershot tell me about how the Gurkhas are fitting in?
Walking around for 20 minutes or so, I noticed (OK, crudely assessed) that people were roughly split into these groups – 40% Nepali, 10% other Indian, 40% British, and 10% Polish,Eastern European or African origin. I was not sure quite where to fit the two regular soldiers in uniform and a very gold jewellery-laden Romany. To sum it up, the small clusters of sari and kurta-clad people looked well at ease, shopping and stopping to pass the time of day - and no one else seemed bothered at all.

Personally, I welcome the Gurkhas, not just as retired UK servicemen, but as a welcome shot in the arm for the town. Their heavy use of the vegetable and produce stalls is helping enliven the marketplace and ensure it remains as an active alternative to the local shopping centre and the out of town supermarket. The four or five Nepalese produce stores sit alongside the Polish and the South African, giving the town centre a vibrancy that many other small towns have lost. It's got nothing to do with my liking for Nepalese food. Oh no, nothing at all...

A few days ago a Facebook page and group was launched:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/We-Love-the-Gurkhas/299231860091327
We Love the Gurkhas has been created by local councillor and mayor Alex Crawford - do consider adding your support.