British Gurkha war hero fights one last campaign

Rambahadur Limbu is one of Britain's greatest living war heroes, yet the 74-year-old veteran feels dishonoured by the way the country has treated Gurkha soldiers like him.
Standing with his walking stick outside the Houses of Parliament in London, few who pass the old Nepalese warrior would recognise his name or the Victoria Cross (VC) on his chest.
Fewer still would know the short, stocky farmer is among just four people alive who won the highest possible military honour serving in the British armed forces -- an award given only for extreme bravery in the face of the enemy.
Feeling his age, Captain Limbu is in London for perhaps the last time to wage one final campaign: a push for retired Nepalese Gurkhas to receive the same pensions and welfare as their British comrades.

He gave heartfelt evidence to the Gurkha Welfare Inquiry, a panel of lawmakers examining veterans' grievances, which holds a final hearing today.
The Gurkhas are renowned for their ferocity, loyalty, bravery and razor-sharp kukri fighting knives. They first served as part of the Indian army in British-run India in 1815. Around 3,100 currently serve in the British army.

In an interview with AFP, Limbu said: "I enlisted in the army in 1957 and for the first 18 years of my career, I always regarded the British and the Gurkhas as equal, and I thought the British were the best friends we could ever have."

But from then on, he saw "discrimination in every area of life in the army, and that included accommodation, food, pay -- anything you name".
Limbu proudly wears his VC, an award bestowed by Queen Elizabeth II in 1966 for his actions in Borneo during the Indonesian-Malaysian Confrontation. Its crimson ribbon is fraying at the edges.
"I feel very honoured because this nation honoured me with a medal. But when I look back (on) my service, I feel very dishonoured," he said.
His Gurkha captain's pension and VC allowance combined came to "way less" than the pension of a (lower-ranked) British non-commissioned officer.

"Isn't that an insult to me and my bravery?" he asked.
"What do I do with this honour when that honour does not give me a dignified life to live?
"You cannot eat a debt of honour. You have to give equality so that people feel the debt of honour is given."
Limbu won the VC for his exceptional valour in the jungles of Sarawak on November 21, 1965.