Gurkhas in Sierra Leone (this month's news)

J

James Mattis

Joined
Oct 3, 1998
Messages
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Yep, there are Gurkhas involved in Sierra Leone now. BBC News.

So far I haven't seen detail on what units took part in the operation this week where they relieved a couple hundred troops who had been surrounded by bad guys for a rather long time, but the action was called "Operation Kukri."


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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
AKTI Member # SA00001
 
I'll bet there will be "Peace in the Valley" now! Or at least after the Gorkas have had their turn.

Thanks for the news.

Finn

 
Thanks for putting the info up, James.

From what I know, the Gorkha battalion in Sierra Leone is the 5th Battalion of the 8th Gorkha Rifles (5/8 GR). Here's a link on their initial deployment (look under "Indian Peacekeepers depart for Sierra Leone") from an Indian Army Web site:
http://armedforces.nic.in/army/arunpk1.htm

Here are some pictures of Gorkhas in Sierra Leone from BBC some months ago. Though the article does not identify them, the distinctive 8 Gorkhas shoulder patch can be seen on the troops - that's the red patch on the shoulder, above the semi-circle "India" patch, with a black 8GR crossed khukuri crest on the patch:
http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/south_asia/newsid_742000/742266.stm

Here's the latest news of the recent fighting to rescue trapped UN personnel - reports say one Indian soldier died, don't know which unit he's from - they have several Indian battalions there by now:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/africa/newsid_838000/838199.stm

As a kid, growing up with my dad in 4/1 Gorkha Rifles, I remember that at one time in Kashmir in the early 80s, 5/8 GR was deployed nearby and these two Gorkha battalions were highly competitive - they had a great football (soccer) team, though we beat them in boxing (my dad, an avid boxer made sure of that!), and no one could match their excellent pipe band.

Later, when dad was commanding 2/1 GR in northern Sikkim, 5/8 GR was again deployed nearby, along with another Gorkha battalion - 7/11 GR! With three Gorkha battalions in the same division, marksmanship (small arms, mortars, etc.), pioneering, boxing and soccer, were highly competitive events, with boxing especially being an all-Gorkha affair with the rest of the Indian Army units in the Division relegated to cheering for the Gorkha boxers representing their respective Brigade. One of the finals featured a 2/1 GR boxer facing a 5/8 GR boxer, who also happened to be his brother! Anyways, these brothers duked it out big time and received a standing ovation at the end of the match - I think our fellow won that match ...

I wonder how 5/8 is faring in Sierra Leone, what with having to operate UN-style with one-hand tied behind their backs all the time...

- Sonam
 
And here is a write-up, from one of the BBC links, on the bad guys in Sierra Leone. The "rebel army" there is a very large, heavily armed, and gruesomely brutal youth gang. One of their trademark tactics, for getting the "cooperation" of civilians, is hacking the limbs off of small children with machetes. No known ideology, and loathsome criminality that can't be explained by mere greed.

"The horror. The horror."


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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
AKTI Member # SA00001


[This message has been edited by James Mattis (edited 07-17-2000).]
 
Dunno if folks are still interested to read this kinda stuff, but anyway ...

Some links with news of the recent UN rescue mission in Sierra Leone - "Operation Khukuri". 5/8 Gorkha Rifles was involved in the action along with other Indian outfits - 18 Grenadiers, and elements of ParaCommandos and Mech Infantry - as well as elements of Ghanian and Nigerian units (IIRC).
http://www.newindpress.com/newsItems.asp?id=IEH20000715133942&eTitle=newindpress+%2D+Top+Stories&rLink=0
http://www.rediff.com/news/2000/jul/16jas.htm

Besides highlighting the one British officer who was rescued, the mainstream international press (BBC, CNN, etc.) didn't deem it worth their while to give details of this operation - too bad, cuz' this seems like one of the few instances when the UN has made its presence felt.

- Sonam
 
It seems to be the desire of most of the American public to know as little as possible about places like Sierra Leone, or at least that seems to be how the American commercial news media are betting their money.

Reading the first link - what is "ishastra puja"? Alta Vista, the great Web dictionary, hasn't heard of it. My Hindu literacy is limited.

If there must be war, it's good to see the good guys win a battle now and then.


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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
AKTI Member # SA00001
 
James,
At the risk of revealing my ignorance to all or offending some, I think that the Hindi word shastra means "weapon", and puja is a form of worship intended to focus the worshipper's faith through ritual devotion. In the context of the article, I believe a "consecration of weapons" by the religious leader is a loose translation. (Uncle Bill, Sonam?)
Berk
 
Looking up "shastra" references on the Net, the word seems to mean a body of knowledge/lore/science. There are people out there offering consulting services on a system of architecture and design known as vastu shastra, frequently in conjunction with an astrology practice.

I suppose it is good to pray for wisdom and knowledge before going into a battle, along with the usual prayers that you and your side should have courage, and that the other side should have rational fear.

Education in this forum {"Bishwakarma puja") and a little surfing to Hindu reference pages tells me that puja is a formal worship ritual with formal offerings (water, food, incense, flowers, not necessarily a living creature) made to the deity, which are then distributed among the worshipers. If it was a regiment of Catholics and not Hindus, a priest would have said mass and the soldiers would have taken communion.

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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
AKTI Member # SA00001


[This message has been edited by James Mattis (edited 07-20-2000).]

[This message has been edited by James Mattis (edited 07-20-2000).]
 
By the way, there was mention above of a Gurkha regiment's excellent bagpipe band. A century and a half of Indo-British military tradition produced a fair amount of cultural fusion. Are there any recordings of Gurkha pipe bands? And has any traditional Nepali or Indian martial music or dance music crept into the traditionally Celtic bagpipe repetoire?


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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
AKTI Member # SA00001
 
Berkley and James,

You are right about the pre-battle Puja, and IIRC, shastra also means weapons. The Pandit (Hindu Priest) is a very important member of a Gorkha battalion. This is the same with other predominantly Hindu outfits - other Regiments, like the Sikhs, have their own religious teachers.

In a Gorkha battalion, the Pandit-ji (the suffix "ji" is an honorific) is usually a JCO (Junior Commissioned Officer) holding the rank of either a Naib-Subedar or a Subedar in the HQ Company. He is the person in charge of all religious ceremonies from festivals like Dashera, Diwali, and Holi, to weekend religious teachings, to giving blessings to newly promoted officers, etc. He accompanies the battalion to the frontlines and conducts special prayers before they go into any operations. James, you're pretty much on the mark when you compared this to Catholic soldiers taking communion - the troops gather (in the temple if possible, or whatever temporary altar the Panditji has put together) and the Pandit conducts his prayers, asking Goddess Durga for blessings, some offerings might be made, Prashad (sweets, etc. from the temple) distributed to the troops, and they set off.

- Sonam
 
James,

Re: Pipebands, you're absolutely right. A century and half of British influence has left a deep impression in the present day Indian Army, especially the infantry. I think all infantry regiments have pipe bands, and the Gorkha battalions, especially, are well-known for their pipe-bands. There are now several Indian tunes played by the bands: the National Anthem, and a few others, but the repertoire is predominantly Highland - Scotland the Brave, Regimental March, Cock O' the North, etc.

Even now hearing some of these tunes will take me back to my childhood days, in fact, there are even funny little Nepalese ditties made to the tune of "Scotland the Brave" which I learned as a kid. Having grown up seeing Gorkha and Sikh bagpipers practically since my birth, it was a bit before I started to equate men in kilts with bagpipes! WWII comics, books and movies brought me around quickly, though.

Don't know about professional recordings, but I've seen the British Gurkha bands in several of the British military pageantry videos like the Edinburgh Tattoo.

- Sonam

[This message has been edited by gtkguy (edited 07-20-2000).]
 
Many thanks for help, nephew!

The Pandit-ji is the Hindu equivalent to the US military Christian chaplains. It is interesting to me that most soldiers want God on their side!

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Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
 
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