THE GURKHAS : A COMMUNITY IN HONOR""

Abstract

At a time when there is a concerted attempt to tell the story of Singapore, it is also an opportune time to tell the story of the gurkha. Coincidentally. It is also a story about Singapore, depending on how one looks at it. (See Conclusion) The term 'gurkha' is a paradox in itself. It is fictitious because it is a creation of the military writers and chroniclers who tell the story of the men who work as gurkhas. In the same note, 'gurkha' is also a construct that does not exist outside of the military context in which it was created. Yet, in reality, the men who work in the Gurkha Contingent (Singapore) see themselves as 'gurkhas' and are known as such. The question to ask then is: Does a gurkha reality exist alongside the gurkha portrayal? If so, what is the relationship between the two? This thesis sets out to resolve these two questions. In doing so, it will attempt to examine the irony of the gurkha situation in Singapore. It does not seek to find out what the gurkhas are 'really like' because this essence does not exist. What exists is something in-between gurkha reality and gurkha portrayal. The term "gurkha' and the entire discourse surrounding it gives rise to the gurkha story which in turn becomes the foundation for a conception of gurkha honor. In looking at the role of honor in the gurkha story, its permutations in reality and its manifestations; I am in effect painting a picture of that "in-betweenness".