Mr. Magar, born in the mid-1940s, grew up in a village of Gulmi, Nepal. As the elder son in the family, he felt a great deal of responsibility because he had younger siblings. At the time, cholera was an epidemic disease that affected everyone in the area of hills. To avoid those illnesses, he flew with his family to Batauli Sahar, presently known as Butwal City. He was unable to complete his schooling because he was working to provide for his family and siblings. At the time, Butwal was a commerce and marketing hub. Butwal served as the halfway point for Gurkha soldiers sent to India, Britain, and other British territories. Soldiers were dispatched from Butwal to Sunauli, and then to Kolkata, the British India Empire’s capital. After Kolkata, they were transferred to the British Empire Territories.
There were no training centers at the time, so the Gallas (recruiters) would go around looking for possible candidates and bring them to the camp. In late November 1961, he was on the field rounding his buffalos when one Gallas approached and asked if he wanted to join the British Gurkha army. Having a large responsibility for this arm, he agreed to go to the center for the exam and wanted to join the Army because it pays well and provides a good living for his family. From Butwal, he traveled to Paklihawa, where the camp was located on the southern side of the Kapilvastu, 28 kilometers distant. Mr. Chakra Prasad Thapa Magar enrolled on the Gurkha Bridge on December 2, 1961, and was assigned to the 1/2 GR battalion.
He felt very proud to be the family’s first Gurkha Army member. His journey to join the Gurkha Army began, and his first posting was in Singapore, which was still under British rule at the time. Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei were ruled by the British, and they were together referred to as Malaya. From Sunauli to Calcutta and then to Singapore by ship, his new journey was full with anticipation and anxiety. With rigorous training, study, and technical labor, his day was filled with rushing, chaos, joy, and learning. He found it difficult to communicate with his seniors because he did not know English and they did not understand Nepali. He was frustrated at times due to the language barrier. In 1962, opponents of Brunei’s monarchy and wanted inclusion in the Federation of Malaysia declared war on the country, aiming to establish a republic country. With this, the British Army sent troops from the Sikh and Gurkha regiments to Brunei, which was also under British sovereignty but was ruled by the Sultan of Brunei. Mr. Magar was among those who traveled to Brunei and fought against Malayan troops to save the king and Brunei’s monarchy. Mr. Chakra, who grew up in a quiet upland location before moving to the Terai region, had never witnessed war. He was shocked to see people dying, killing, and being crippled as a result of weapons and bombs. He fought to protect his life, friends, and, most importantly, Brunei’s crown. He fought with the people and learned what war is and what it gives out. He recalls those days in a low, little voice and claims that fighting provides nothing. Although one party wins, the damages are so significant that no one calls to replace the harm. He spent almost a year and a half in Brunei, protecting, fighting for, and supporting the monarchy and Brunei’s crown.
Although he did not stay in Brunei throughout the war, he returned to Malaysia after spending many months there. During his time in Malaysia, he attended many intense training sessions in the bush, camp, and at sea. He remained loyal to the kingdom and its service. He was extremely dedicated to his service, and he was proud to provide his time and power to the British Army. Although it was difficult for him at times since there was no communication technology to contact his home, he used to send letters as often as he could so that his family members could feel safe and relieved that he was in excellent health and there was no negative news. The training in the jungle was really difficult. He had to walk and create a route for himself and his teammates to get to their training location. It used to be in the middle of the thick jungle. Food was not as fancy as it is now, with options such as red bean soup, meat, pancakes, peanut butter, and many others. It used to be within budget, and everyone had to share it. With the intense training, limited food, no regular communication, and a whole new life in the dark forest, his journey was a roller coaster.
During happy, bad, tough, and war times, he spent half of his service duration in the Malaya region before returning to the United Kingdom. It was different for him because the weather, cuisine, architecture, people, and camp were all different than in Malaya. He was astounded to see the advanced country and people there. Life was different in the United Kingdom, and he began to adjust to the local lifestyle and routine. He was happy to continue working there because his life was less hectic than in Malaya.
He retired in 1976 after serving for a total of 15 years. He received medals and certificates for his services to the United Kingdom and its colonies. His army career concluded with numerous stories, nightmares, and Wars.
He came back to his motherland and lived as a British veteran in Nepal with his family. After staying some years in Nepal, he went to Hongkong with his family and stayed there for a while. As Hong Kong was under British Rule, it was easy for the British Gurkha Army to go to Hong Kong. There were not as many facilities for the army as today’s time. Pensions were not as high as today’s time. With the time, many facilities and services were made for the Ex-Gurkha Army and with that they were given or allowed to stay in the United Kingdom after the retirement with the family.
He traveled to the United Kingdom with his wife and son to better the lives of his family and future generations. He began studying and completed his Bachelor’s English Course because he had not had the opportunity to read during his youth. He spends half of the year in the United Kingdom and half in Nepal. He has no regrets or self-pity about his service time, but he does have numerous stories that he relates occasionally. His legacy has been carried on by his older grandson, who also serves in the British Army, but not in the Gurkha regiment.
When asked if he had a great or successful life at the time, he responds it was a combination of both. He admits, “I’m not sure what success means in the Gurkha Army. I just performed my job. There is a proverb that Nun ko Sojo Garnu. And I did it. I served the nation and the crown wholeheartedly. With the blessings of God and the Queen, I and many others in this regiment are doing well. We are fairly compensated, and my upcoming generation is in the United Kingdom building their futures. I won’t say that I have entirely succeeded as a Gurkha Army soldier because success is a term that has a full stop at one point. I didn’t stop after my retirement. I’ve continued to live the same life for the past 15 years.” He laughed while saying that.
It was difficult, unique, a new experience, and terrifying among other things. He claims that with today’s technology and other benefits, many of these are unique and accessible. He goes on to argue that it was easy to be recruited into the Army but difficult to survive military life, whereas today it is difficult to recruit into the Army but relatively easy to live. Today’s youngsters learn how to speak English, understand mathematics, and train exceptionally hard, therefore despite all of their hard work and the benefits of understanding other languages, these lads will not have to face the hardships that the previous Gurkhas did. With these phrases, he ends up describing his limited experience as a Gurkha soldier.
Image. Mr. Chakra Prasad Thapa Magar