Post Independence
Following India's independence, India, Nepal and Great Britain signed a Tripartite Agreement, and of the total of 10 regiments, six (1 GR, 3 GR, 4 GR, 5 GR, 8 GR and 9 GR) regiments of the Gurkha Rifles joined the Indian Army. In 1950, when India became a republic, the Royal titles were dropped from the regiments that joined the Indian Army.
Following the divisions of the Gorkha regiments, the British Army decided that joining of the British Army would be entirely voluntary for the Gorkha soldiers and decided to hold a referendum. As a result, large numbers of men from the 7th Gurkha Rifles and the 10th Gurkha Rifles, which recruited predominantly from Eastern Nepal, decided not to join their regiments as part of the British Army. In order to retain a contingent from this area of Nepal, the Indian Army made the decision to raise the 11 Gorkha Rifles. Although there was an ad hoc regiment raised during World War 1 with troops drawn from the various Gurkha units, the troops mostly retained the uniform and insignias of their respective regiments (with a few exceptions who wore 11 GR badges which was unofficial as no sanction was given for such). This regiment was disbanded in 1922 and has no relation to the present-day 11 Gurkha Rifles, though some do claim so.
Since independence, the Gorkhas have fought in every major campaign involving the Indian Army being awarded numerous battle and theatre honours. The regiments have won many gallantry awards like the Param Vir Chakra and the Maha Vir Chakra. The 8 Gorkha Rifles, has the unique distinction of producing one of the two Field Marshals of the Indian Army, Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw and is still revered as one of its finest officers.
5/5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) fought gallantly in Hyderabad police action in 1948. Naik Nar Bahadur Thapa of 5/5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) earned the first Ashok Chakra Class I of independent India, in Hyderabad Police Action on 15 September 1948. The 4/5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) fought in the Battle of Sylhet, earning the distinction of being the first regiment of the Indian Army to be involved in a heliborne attack. Under the Indian Army, Gorkhas have served in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Siachen, and in the UN peacekeeping missions in Lebanon and Sierra Leone.
Major Dhan Singh Thapa of the 1/8 Gorkha Rifles won the Param Vir Chakra for his heroic actions during the 1962 Sino-Indian conflict. The 1st battalion of the 11 Gorkha Rifles was involved in Operation Vijay where Lt. (acting Captain) Manoj Kumar Pandey won the Param Vir Chakra for his gallant actions.
Read more about this topic: Gorkha Regiments (India)
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