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MP Howarth criticised over 'hurtful' remarks

By Pete Castle
September 21, 2011

A NEPALESE community leader has warned the government: don't tell us where to live.

The response came as defence minister and Aldershot MP Gerald Howarth repeated calls to 'disperse' any new arrivals from Nepal.

Tikendra Dal Dewan, leader of two Nepalese community groups, was rewarded last week for his community work.

Mr Dewan, of Hinstock Close, Farnborough, a retired Gurkha major who is head of the British Gurkha Welfare Society and the Greater Rushmoor Nepali Community, was presented with the community service award at the eleventh Asian Achievers Awards at Wembley on Friday (September 16).

But Mr Dewan said the shine had been taken off his award by comments made by Mr Howarth that Gurkha veterans and their families should be dispersed around the UK, rather than concentrating in the north-east Hampshire area.

Such dispersal is the policy for large groups of asylum seekers to Britain. But Nepalese leaders said that Mr Howarth’s comments will not alleviate local tensions, and could be interpreted that Nepalis would be less welcome that other nationalities in the area.

Mr Howarth made the comments during an interview with BBC Radio Five Live, during which he argued in favour of a policy of dispersal for the Nepalese population.

Mr Dewan claimed Mr Howarth’s comments were 'poorly considered and hurtful'.

“As the local MP, we understand completely that Mr Howarth has a responsibility to speak out about this issue," he said.

"But equally we would hope he understands our point of view that talking about dispersement and how it is considered for asylum seekers is hurtful to the Nepalis living in the local area, many of whom are Gurkhas and very proud of their contribution to the UK.

"We cannot agree with any suggestion of dispersement, and do not think it is the place of government to tell people where they should or should not live.

"Pointing fingers is not going to help address the significant difficulties facing the local services in Rushmoor."

Mr Dewan said that having expressed his groups' disappointment he was keen to move on and wanted to work with Mr Howarth to resolve issues.

Mr Howarth told the News & Mail that it was no good to ignore the issues.

"It is not designed to be hurtful but there is a problem and it has got to be addressed," he said.

"My constituents, both individuals and Rushmoor Borough Council, are looking for some positive response from the government.

"They need some idea of when they can expect this immigration to cease."

Mr Howarth said current Ministry of Defence figures showed that 200 former Gurkhas a month were still applying for visas, with 30% estimated to be headed for Aldershot and Farnborough.

He added he had written again to the Prime Minister, asking for an update on the reconvened cross-departmental committee on Gurkha welfare, which he said was due to report back soon.

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From reading the article I think that Tikendra Dal Dewan has missed the point. While I don’t have a problem with the Ghurkha’s who have served our country having a right to come and settle in this country, Mr Dewan needs to recognise and understand that when a large un-planned migration in to ANY (Geographicaly) small area in a relatively short period of time, is going to cause havoc in the provision of services and housing for those people as well as for the people who are already living there.

When you add to this, the current austerity measures being implemented by the current government it is going to make a bad funding situation worse if not impossible for that small area.

Would it be right and proper to NOT find housing for these extra people and just set up a tent city like refugee camps in other countries? No it would not, but at the same time these extra people need to understand that they might not be able to be settled in the area they want, because there is not the available housing and services for them there.

Mr Dewan needs to understand that the purpose of Mr Howarth’s call to “disperse” any new arrivals is to ensure that no one authority is put in the position of having to suddenly fund and find housing for 1000’s of extra people and to fund the extra services that they are going to need in a very short time period.

Mr Dewan needs to understand that there are people living here in the Aldershot area who have been waiting for years or in some cases decades for social housing, and because of (relative to the local population) vast influx to a small area those people are now condemned to have to wait even longer as the influx gets housed ahead of them. THAT of course going to cause resentment in some people and could have been avoided if “dispersement” had been applied in the first place.

It is a FACT that there is insufficient council / Housing Association property available for local authorities (particularly in London and the South/South East) to provide appropriate accommodation to all of those that are here already that they have a statutory duty to house, that is why we have people on waiting lists for so long.

Mr Dewan needs to understand that the policy for “dispersal” exists for a good reason for sudden large influxes of people. It may be unfortunate that this is primarily applied to asylum seekers these days (which is what was stated in this article), but if you look beyond this I think you will find that is what happened back in the 1970’s with the Vietnamese boat people when we agreed to take in a quota of those who were fleeing that conflict.

Dawi, Aldershot
06/11/2011 at 23:37

KEEP THE PRESURE UP GERALD YOU ARE DOING A GOOD JOB.

The Major, Aldershot
23/10/2011 at 09:32

Please don't give up Mr Howarth. There are plenty of us behind you.

Replicess, Aldershot
30/09/2011 at 12:24

""However, since the arrival of the Gurkha veterans businesses are beginning to thrive.""

pjt

Do you mean businesses like Howe & Co, Immigration Lawyers and co-campaigners of Joanna Lumley in the Gurkha Justice Campaign?

Taff Rail
29/09/2011 at 11:55

However, since the arrival of the Gurkha veterans businesses are beginning to thrive.

pjt
28/09/2011 at 21:42

"Unhappy, What planet you on? - Aldershot11, Aldershot, 27/09/2011 at 12:41"

The same planet as Ms Anne Widcombe, Sir Peter Bottomley, HMForces [ http://www.hmforces.co.uk/news/articles/6713-plea-to-support-gurkha-welfare ], Lord Ashcroft, Frederick Forsyth, CBE et al who support the Gurkhas' fight for justice.

See "What price bravery? Call to support the Gurkhas who risked their lives for Britain" - [ http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/editors-choice/2011/04/04/what-price-bravery-call-to-support-the-gurkhas-who-risked-their-lives-for-britain-86908-23036938/ ]

unhappy (now disgusted)
27/09/2011 at 23:32

"""The man's a waste of tax payers money and an embarrassment to Aldershot Constituents. It's time the Aldershot Tories deselected him and put up a LOCAL Tory candidate I can vote for. """ unhappy (now disgusted)

Can I deduce from what you have written, that you have taken up British citizenship and thus are qualified to be on the Electoral Roll?

Taff Rail
27/09/2011 at 14:57

Unhappy, What planet you on?

aldershot11, Aldershot

-------------

I think he / she is on the same one as SiG and Mark Of Fleet.

Opps sorry I went for he / she and forget to put the option or 'other'. .....how very un PC of me.

doormon, Aldershot
27/09/2011 at 14:20

Unhappy, What planet you on?

aldershot11, Aldershot
27/09/2011 at 12:41

"There is huge strain on the area.."

So why are our shopping centres struggling to fill all the empty retail units?

Why have ALL pubs shut down?

Because we lost the military units.

However, since the arrival of the Gurkha veterans businesses are beginning to thrive.

unhappy (now disgusted)
27/09/2011 at 01:00

"Perhaps the Mail would like to hold an online poll regarding the end to recruitment of the nepalese into the British army" - mai, 23/09/2011 at 15:22

Hey how about a poll on paying reparations for Slavery and an apology by HM QE-II?

How about a poll stopping ALL further emigration of Brits to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, etc etc?

unhappy (now disgusted)
27/09/2011 at 00:25

It's a FREE country people can live where ever they like. That's what the Gurkha's fought and died for over a 150 years.

Mr Howarth can go take a running jump.

He is NOT from Aldershot and isn't even a resident. Just hogging a 'safe-seat' thanks to his Tory connections.

They even created a special ministerial position for him "Minister for International Security Strategy". Now tell me what does he know about that? Indeed what has he contributed since taking up the position?

The man's a waste of tax payers money and an embarrassment to Aldershot Constituents. It's time the Aldershot Tories deselected him and put up a LOCAL Tory candidate I can vote for.

unhappy (now disgusted)
27/09/2011 at 00:20

Wonerlove wrote: "I am from Wales and ahve moved ot Farnborough, noone (as yet) has encouraged me to get out because ther eis not enough room. Singling out an entire race on immigration issues is narrow minded and frankly ignorant" .

This is not a fair comparison on which to base accusations of ignorance and narrow-mindedness. The word ignorance does spring to mind when talking of people (especially politicians) who think that you can impose a change on people in such a short time and expect everyone to be happy with it.

If 15,000 people arrived in any small town in such a small period of time, all of the same culture but a culture different to the predominant local culture, many not speaking English, many being elderly and some with health problems or needing community support - then I think there would be voices of dissent REGARDLESS of whether they came from Oxford, Newcastle, Exeter, Wales, Scotland, the Isle of Wight or even Nepal. It is inevitable that many locals will feel uncomfortable.

I do think the Gurkhas have been treated bady - by our government and by people back home. I've no problem with the Gurkhas settling in the UK - but this is what frustrates me: the Gurkha community itself needs to be more mindful of the impact it is having on the community by ariving here in large numbers relative to the overall population and it should be working to minimise the impact on any one community. Even if that means settlment across a wider area.

It is human nature for the Gurkhas to want to stick together and build a community but does Aldershot then run the risk of not being multicultural but becoming ghetto-ised? (in as much as one part of the community becomes segregated from the rest by culture and by language). Where is the incentive to integrate if there is a huge Nepalese community in this one place.

pjt
26/09/2011 at 13:46

gerald howarth has every right as our elected member of parliment to speak out afterall this is what the general population think . we are told they want full pension benefits then they will return home i doubt this very much we are to much of a east target in this country and everythink should be done to deter the nepalese from settling here . pk aldershot

mouses, aldershot
24/09/2011 at 10:45

And what did the Gurhka spokesman say in the mail today *Dont tell us where to live" that was in reply to Gerald Howarths plea to disperse around the country ! Dont tell us where to live he says ! When will Rushmoor be full up ? How many more want to come to Rushmoor ? Nepalese youths have been heard saying "this will be a Nepali town" Would Rushmoor council consider buying property from residents who have had enough ? Take a good long look at Aldershot town, is it actually worth clinging on to ? Let the Nepalese community have it ! The queue for a doctor is long and endless, Manor park is a no go area, No public benches to sit and have your lunch, Lines and lines of Nepalese pensioners walking the streets from sun up to sun down, Gangs of teenagers on street corners, What happens when the next lot of children leave school ? No jobs, No housing, No prospects ! Someone called our town on radio two the other day "Nepaldershot" the place is awash with bad press bad publicity etc who wants to move a new buisness here ? Like i said if the Nepali community want it so bad then come and buy us out !