According to reports, Nepali Gurkhas are joining the ranks of the Wagner Group, a Russian private military company, as contract soldiers.
The development is reportedly due to the Gurkhas being drawn by the prospects of higher wages and Russian citizenship, and dismayed by the lack of opportunities in the Indian Army.
#WATCH: It is reported that hundreds of Nepalis are joining the Russian army as contract soldiers. The video purportedly shows Russian soldiers training new recruits and providing them with weapons. #Nepal #Kathmandu #Russia #Wagner #WagnerGroup #UkraineWar #Putin #ValdimirPutin pic.twitter.com/tHeTvG4UFj
— Statecraft (@statecraftdaily) June 27, 2023
Opportunities in Russia and Wagner
Several videos have surfaced lately on social media platforms, like TikTok, Telegram, and YouTube, depicting Nepali youth undergoing military training in Russia.
Russia has eased its citizenship norms by allowing people who have served one year in the military to become Russian citizens. Moscow is offering fast-tracked citizenship to these foreigners serving in “special military operations,” and extending it to their families.
Being lured by the idea of attaining Russian citizenship has led to an influx of Nepali youth joining as contract soldiers in Russia. Given the urgency of the situation in Ukraine, the Wagner group does not require its recruits to understand the Russian language — another influencing factor for Nepalis joining the mercenary group.
Since the war began, Russia started giving several benefits to the Wagner mercenaries, which were earlier extended only to the government’s soldiers. Wagner pays its recruits $2,500 monthly, much below Russia’s $1,000 average monthly income.
The amount holds much importance for the Nepali youth, who are severely short of opportunities in their homeland with an 11.12 per cent unemployment rate. The Nepali Gurkhas are reportedly embarking on this venture individually, without official government backing, another cause of concern for the Himalayan nation, which has no MoU with Russia to address the situation.
“This is a concerning situation. The Nepal government is not able to do anything about it as they have gone in individual capacity,” retired Nepali Major General Binoj Basnyat told the EurAsian Times recently.
The #Nepali #Gurkhas, who are considered fierce warriors, are reportedly joining Wagner group, Russia's private military company which revolted against #Russia's President #VladimirPutin two days ago.#WagnerGrouphttps://t.co/hYSoAaL7IS
— Economic Times (@EconomicTimes) June 27, 2023
The India Factor
The news of Nepalis joining Wagner is also being linked to the Nepali government’s decision to halt the recruitment of Gurkhas in the Indian Army.
Earlier, joining the Indian Army was a lucrative opportunity for the Nepali youth as it paid 2.5 times the amount paid in the Nepali Army, along with a pension providing economic and social security.
The halt in recruitment resulted from India’s introduction of the Agnipath scheme and the resultant replacement of long-term employment with shorter, four-year contract tenures.
The Agnipath scheme, introduced in 2022, has also done away with the benefit of pensions, leading the Nepali government to pause the 200-year-old recruitment process until further clarity is attained.
Speaking to ETV Bharat on the matter, former Indian Army Chief General Ved Prakash Malik said that India should not employ people who have worked as mercenaries outside.
The Nepali Gurkhas are known for their unbeatable warrior skills and have been recruited in the Indian and British Army since 1815. The employment of the celebrated Gurkhas in private armies seems to be driven by the need for security and opportunity, which their own country seemingly lacks.