THE CHANCE TO CHANGE: Satis Shroff
The Chance to Change (Satis Shroff) “Education is the best thing in the world for Nepal’s children, be they Gurkhas, Sherpas or Madeshis. And what Nepal needs most in this crucial transitional period is peace, co-operation between the different ethnic groups, a craving to mend ways, build bridges between its cultures, connect and find common goals.” - Satis Shroff A long time back Mr. Swaroop Chamling, who is a Rai and ex-Gurkha settled in UK, was gathering signatures for a Gurkha petition on www.Darjeeling Forum and I found it interesting that the Gurkhas, civilians and military, were getting organised to fight for their rights at last, after years of discrimination, hiring and firing, and low-pay on the part of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in Britain. Until 2004 Gurkhas were not allowed to settle in the United Kingdom. However, the Labour government under Tony Blair changed the rules so that Gurkhas who retired after 1997 would be allowed to settle in the UK, 1997 being the da