HAVE YOU NOTICED?
If you've ever wandered past the Istana,
you'll be sure to chance upon several soldiersdonning khaki coloured hats with their vultureeyes glaring upon you until you leave their sight.
These are known as the Gurkhas, the famedwarriors from Nepal, whose motto "Better to diethan be a coward" has made them legends.
Their fierce combat skills, loyalty and vauntedcourage have made them a respected - andfeared - sight in the eyes of opposing armies.
Ironically, with them being a force to bereckoned with, they're also the world's only knownmercenary army with several nations hiringthem for their lethal prowess and bravado.
Some 40,000 Gurkhas currently servein the Indian Army and another 3,400 inthe British Army. Singapore's Police Forcehas its own contigent of 2,000 Gurkhas.
-----------------------------------------------
DID YOU KNOW?
Just recently, the newly elected Nepalese
Government has pondered over the idea oferadicating the two-century-old traditionof Gurkhas going abroad to serve.
They have seen this act as a form of utter humiliation and find the idea of their ownsoldiers fighting for foreign armies degrading.
-----------------------------------------------
A SCENARIO
Let's say, should this possibility become a reality,how do you think this will affect Singapore?
With our dependence on the Gurkhas toprotect our national interest sudenly takenaway, will our security be compromised orcan we depend on ourselves instead?
Or perhaps, they're more than justmercenaries, with them being anintegral part of our nation's history.
----------------------------------
CLIQUE: FORUM
Feel free to share your views and opinions withus by leaving your comments after this post.
Thank You!
P.S. Not on the tagboard. Winston
|