Nepalese army chief General Rajendra Chhetri along with other delegates visited the Khalanga War Memorial at Nalapani in Dehradun on Friday. The Chief of Army Staff of the Nepal Army is in Uttarakhand to attend the passing out parade of the Indian Military Academy (IMA). On his maiden visit to IMA, General Chhetri took time to visit the memorial, which depicts the brave exploits and sacrifices of the Gorkhas.
The Khalanga War Memorial has the unique distinction of being erected by an army for its opponent. It was the Britishers who constructed the Khalanga War Memorial in memory of Major General Rollo Gillepie who was in charge of the attacking British troops as well as Captain Balbhadra Kunwar, as a mark of tribute to the courage of the Gorkhas.
The Battle of Nalapani was the first battle of the Anglo-Nepalese War. In the battle, General Gillespie was killed on the first day of the siege while rallying his men.
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Despite all odds and limited resources, both in terms of numbers and firepower, Captain Balbhadra and his 600-strong garrison successfully held out against more than 5,000 British troops for over a month.
A team of senior officers of Nepal Army paid tribute to the courage of the heroes of the Nalapani war. General Chettri lauded the efforts of Gorkha Samiti & the Archaeological Survey of India in maintaining the historical legacy of Gorkhas and said the Battle of Nalapani was one of the most important landmarks in the history of the Gorkhas.
Lt Gen (Retd) Shakti Gurung, writer Madhu Gurung and Khalanga Vikas Samiti’s president Ram Singh Thapa provided the Nepal delegates the history of the memorial. The visit was facilitated by the Indian Military Academy and 1/3 Gorkha Rifles.
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