To be honest MOD was wrongly guided by the Head Quarter Brigade of Gurkhas (HQBG) They are useless and pain who just want to keep their job and show the important. The Gurkhas now can directly can be manage from APC. HQBG is not required.

Dudman Gurung, Swindon, Wiltshire

Worlds most galantry and respective medal is the 'Victoria Cross ' which was won by 13 Gurkha Soldier during most of the conflict around the world under British Empire,and all of them were retired before 1July 1997,that means they have been forgotten by MOD.they receive less than £180 a month.What a shame?
During our Gurkha Offer To Transfer (GOTT) briefing held on 5th Dec 2007 at Aldershot,one of the MOD spokesman said that we were recruited as a 'Far East Soldier' we were confused.We also asked them that why our NI and Tax contribution is counted only from Oct2000? they replied that 'we are here only to brief GOTT not a Tax Question'if you have a tax query ask Tax Department,these statements are ridiculous and have no concrete answers.
I was enlisted on May 1989 and all of my service before 1July 1997 is counted 2 yrs something only so my total pensionable service is 10 year and some days,but I have done 16 yrs of Exemplary service.We don't know who invented this formula.

Bidhan Gurung, Farnborough, U.K.

It's disgusting, these men are among the best soldiers in the world and they are on OUR side, for God's sake! They give the best years of their lives for our country and we treat them like this? So what if they would go back to Nepal "rich" men on a British Army full pension? They are just the sort of men who are needed in Nepal to bring wealth to their home areas, and what if some of them wish to remain in the UK after they leave the army, they will need the full pension to live here. In an age where city "yuppies" boast of £1m Xmas bonuses for doing what are essentially useless jobs which add nothing to the benefit of society as a whole, surely these guys should be treated as equals to their British comrades in arms?

C.Swinnerton, coventry,

I am a retired Gurkha Officer with 25 years of exemplary service in the British Army. I retired recently in Mar 07. After a much-publicised "Equal Pension" propoganda by the MOD, I was bitterly disappointed to be told that I was only entitled for about 14 years of pensionable service. It is extremely sad to realise that the MOD is still reluctant to treat Gurkha soldiers in the same par as our British counter parts.

I have been deployed with the British Army in every major conflict since joining in 1982 and I love Britain as much as my own country Nepal. But, despite all our sacrifice and dedicated service to the Crown, we are still treated like third class citizens.

I strongly feel that the Headquarters Brigade of Gurkhas (HQBG) has alot to do with all of this. After all, they are the ones who advise the MOD on all Gurkha matters. But what amazes me is how has MOD come to accept their advice in the first place! Surely, anyone can tell what is right and what is wrong!!

Indra Gurung, Basingstoke, UK

This is again another pathetic move made by the labour government and the mod. My simple question is ,Who were the Gurkhas serving under and for whom pre 1997? If the answer is for the British Crown, than why would his service not counted for.
The Gurkhas who were serving in the UK pre 1997 were paying all the TAX and NI contribution accordingly,surely a return for than has to be made. The current pension paid out to thousands of ex Gurkhas are still paid in line to the indian army.This does not make sense because the treaty was made way back in 1947, surely time has changed.
We have taken what was offered for nearly 200yrs, surely it is now time for us to claim our right.

jay gurung, aldershot, uk

Well, that just about takes the biscuit, doesn''t it? We recruit some of the first fighting men in the world, get them to do the hard work of soldiering for us, then try to wriggle out of paying them a proper pension! Of course a British army pension is worth a fortune back in Nepal, but why not? These people have given us the best and most vigorous years of their lives. I bet the French treat their Foreign Legion veterans a lot better...

JF, Canterbury , UK

Everyone knows that Ghurkas are excellent soldiers. What was always understood but unspoken was that they were very much cheaper than the UK equivalent. Obviously they should nowadays get equal pay for equal work and no arguments from the financial skinflints of the Treasury, especially about retrospective things like pensions. But that may mean that they become less attractive to the British Army. An interesting conundrum.

Colin, Shrewsbury,

Not only this is shameful but also perhaps discrimanatory - but poor Gurkhas have no money to challenge the British Government since they only get less than £200 a month in pension, live on this sum or challenge the mighty Government only to lose?

I am a Gurkha soldier myself with 18 years service who retired in 2000. After a much-publicised "equal pension" propaganda I have been given an option to join the Army Pension Scheme only to get 6 years pension for 18 years I have served with an exemplary record - what a non-sense!

How can 18 years served prior to 1997 be equivalent in pension terms to 6 years of service after 1997, can anyone explain what kind of mathematics have these Whitehall mandarins have been taught so that 6 years in post-1997 war equals to 18 in pre-1997 battles like Falklands!

I think there is a major flaw in the management of Gurkhas which stems from the Gurkha Headquarters who recommend such non-sense reasoning.

Boz Baral, London, UK

The Gurkas are brilliant soldiers who give their lives for this country. They are paid appallingly (Nepalese wages) and to mess with their pensions is a scandal. Isn't it typical of McBrown to attack their pensions! He is probably furious her missed them first time round!

Roger S Kingston, york,

THis is absolutely outrageous. We can pay asylum seekers who serve no purpose in the UK thousands, we give out billions in false benefit claims and yet to those brave men and women who serve Mr Brown abandons them?

What a surprise.

We on the other hand will not leave our men and women behind.

Our numbers are gathering and we're aiming for 1000 signatures by the New Year.

Please sign up below if you support and want to help our men and women: (copy and paste link)

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/supportforces/

Thankyou

martin, London,

These are the same bunch of lilly livered cowards who are starving our forces of any meaningful finance while living the life of plenty at our expense.

D Case, Newquay,

Another day – another Nulabour disaster. Mr Brown – your government has presided over the destruction of the final salary pension scheme. Thanks to your efforts (your annual tax grab and your onerous legislation) – my own final salary scheme has also now closed.
Not content with this – your government now thinks it right and proper to rob these brave and honourable Gurkha solidiers of a decent pension. Your government would probably prefer it if they were dead – that would save you a bundle. You have protected the pensions of your civil service. You have pumped billions into Northern Wreck because the last thing you wanted was a run on a bank in the middle of your possible general election. A single Gurkha soldier has more honour then your entire labour administration put together. The Sunday times headline refers to a ‘Crisis of Morale’ in your government. The solution is simple. Get out and go – how much longer do we have to put up with your pathetic excuse of a government?

Pravin, London,

Yet more evidence that the civil servants at the MoD have no shame! Not only do they claim £6,500 and play Scrooge with the troops and their inadequate equipment, but now they want to renege on "those people" who have fought to defend Britain!

Bob Evans, Anaheim, California

So it may be that the government is thinking, "Well, it's not like they're white people or anything." On the other hand it might be that they would do that to anybody. Which is worse?

Christopher Hobe Morrison, Pine Bush, Ulster County, NY, USA