Dr Bishal Gurung, Vice president Greater Rushmoor Nepali Community and General Secretary Tamu Dhee UK, quoted an eyewitness as saying that the man initially used offensive words and abused the elderly Nepali people sitting in the park.
LONDON:- A 58-year-old man has been arrested by Hampshire Police in connection with a hate-motivated attack on an elderly Nepali man, including a former Gurkha soldier, at the Municipal Gardens Park in Aldershot, UK.
The incident took place at around 7:24 pm on Tuesday in Aldershot, which has a large Nepali community. Witnesses said that a local white man verbally abused, abused and assaulted two former Gurkha men, an elderly woman and other members of the Nepali community who were sitting in the park.
According to police, the arrested person is a 58-year-old man living in the S area. He has been arrested on charges of physical assault, public nuisance, criminal damage and public order offences relating to racial hatred and is currently in police custody.
Dr Bishal Gurung, Vice president Greater Rushmoor Nepali Community and General Secretary Tamu Dhee UK, quoted an eyewitness as saying that the man initially used offensive words and abused the elderly Nepali people sitting in the park.
The man made racially offensive remarks such as, “Why are you staying here? Go back to your own country.” Even after the victims explained that they were former Gurkha soldiers, the man became more aggressive and pushed and assaulted the elderly man.
The attackers also smashed the mobile phones of two Nepali youths at the scene of the incident, who were trying to save the victims by recording videos on their mobile phones. In the video, which went viral on social media, a man is seen behaving aggressively towards members of the Nepali community.
According to eyewitnesses, the man kicked a young man, abused a woman and pushed some elderly people. Dawa J Sherpa, 77, who fought in the Falklands War, and Khadka Bahadur Pun, 82, were also present at the scene. They were both shaken and one of them had his mobile phone damaged.
Police, who arrived at the scene immediately after the incident, have begun an investigation by collecting details, photographs and video footage from victims and witnesses. Police have urged anyone with further information or video footage to contact 101 or +44 260285455.
The incident has sparked outrage and concern among the Nepali and Gorkha communities in Aldershot. According to Dr. Vishal Gurung, many members of the local British community have also expressed their grief over the incident and demanded appropriate action against the perpetrators.
Meanwhile, Aldershot MP and chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Nepal, Alex Baker, has strongly condemned the incident. She has spoken to Hampshire Police and urged them to increase patrols in the area. MP Baker described the attack as “appalling” and said violence, intimidation and racism have no place in Aldershot.
She recalled the glorious history and contributions of the Gorkhas, saying they are an integral part of the city’s history and heritage. She also warned that inflammatory language used online could incite division and racism among communities.
The Nepali Embassy in London has also expressed its sorrow over the inhumane incident against the elderly Nepali citizens. The embassy has urged all parties to exercise restraint, urging that the perpetrators involved in the incident be brought to justice.
This is not the first incident of racially motivated attacks on members of the former Gurkha community in the UK; such incidents have come to light from time to time before.
