Falklands’ Veteran ex Gurkha captain sits as elected member of Nepal’s parliament
Captain Purna Limbu received his primary education in Nepal and served in the British Army for about 28 years. He retired in 2008
A Falkland Islands Veteran former Gurkha captain has been elected to the Nepalese parliament as a member of the Sharm Sanskriti party. For Captain Purna Limbu it is the culmination of a lifelong of struggle and persistence, from a modest rural environment to lawmaker, through international military service and social activism.
Born in Chainpur Municipality-4 of Sankhuwasabha in the eastern hilly district, 62-year-old Limbu spent his childhood in an ordinary family, dreaming of becoming a British Gurkha Army soldier since childhood, which he joined in 1980.
Captain Limbu received his primary education in Nepal, completed various high-level military training after becoming a Gurkha soldier, and serving in the British Army for about 28 years. He retired in 2008 and during his service, in various conflict-affected and strategic areas of the world.
An important chapter in his military life is connected to the Falklands War of 1982. The war between Britain and Argentina for recovery of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean lasted 10 weeks, with 650 Argentine, 255 British soldiers losing their lives together with three civilian Islanders. Finally, on June 14, 1982, Argentina surrendered and the Islands were returned to the Falklands’ people. Participation in the war provided Limbu with not only military experience but also an opportunity to gain international military skills.
During his time in the British Army, he played an active role in military and peacekeeping operations in countries such as Afghanistan, Bosnia, Sierra Leone, Brunei, Hong Kong and Germany. These experiences gave him a global perspective, leadership skills and crisis management.
Limbu’s career was not limited to war. He also worked as an instructor at the prestigious Gurkha Training Center in Britain, where he trained new Gurkha soldiers in discipline, leadership and modern warfare.
