Major (Retd) Bhuwani Pandhak of 7th Gurkha Rifles, arrived in Hong Kong as a young Gurkha at the age of 18 in 1979 and still has lots of love for the city where he served until mid '90s. During his service in Hong Kong, he and his comrades were based in Cassino, Burma and Gallipoli Lines. Their primary roles included border patrol protecting between Hong Kong and China from the illegal immigrants as well as to manage internal conflict. And at those times they too had operations around the globe. But he remembers how happy he felt returning back to Hong Kong after every operations and services around the world. Actually while he returning back to Hong Kong, he felt like returning home, not only because it was in Asia but also he had been in Hong Kong since he was young and it was the first place he arrived when he joined the force. When asked what he did apart from his regular duty, he recalled how they were kept busy with trainings and also were kept determined and motivated through sports and physical exercises. As a keen sportsman, he did enjoy participating in many of the sports representing his brigade. Football, basketball, cross-country race, to name few. Interestingly, he also recalled going to Sek Kong for learning English. But he wishes that he had Cantonese classes too. But if you were not a Gurkha, what you would be? “I could have become anything. Since no one knows what’s going to happen next in life", replied Major Bhuwani. He is happy that his habit of making a bold decision made him to take the right decision, including the decision of joining in the Gurkha Regiment with his friends. One thing led to other and now is a happy retired Gurkha. Now when he looks back at his Gurkha days, he feels really proud too.
Not only because he is the first and only person in his family, who is a Gurkha but also how tough conditions had he undergone to be a Gurkha. However he finds most people are misusing the term ‘Gurkha’ nowadays. He wants to let people know clearly Gurkha; it is not just about a mere soldier or a tag, because becoming a Gurkha is about undergoing tough physical, mental and educational recruitment tests and also rigorous trainings later on. With the pride and happiness as a Gurkha who contributed to Hong Kong then, now he urges the new generation of Gurkhas in Hong Kong, the Nepalese Hong Kongers to contribute Hong Kong with new knowledge and skills, integrating with the local community but also not to forget their roots.
2 Comments
xxx
3/6/2018 09:01:54 am
you really want to say MAINTAIN internal conflict?
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admin
3/6/2018 08:57:10 pm
Thank you!
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Gurung Dhiraj- Grandson of a Gurkha trying to learn and share the history of Gurkhas in Hong Kong. Archives
June 2018
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