11 GORKHA RIFLES

11 GORKHA RIFLES

At the time of Independence when the division of the Indian Armed Forces was being done the question of the future employment of Gorkha troops also came up. At that time there were ten Gorkha Regiments in the Indian Army, each with two battalions. Troops of the 7th and 10th Gorkha Rifles hailed from Eastern Nepal and were mainly of Rai and Limbu ethnic groups. Transfer of troops to the British Army was to be on a purely voluntary basis. A referendum was held in the presence of the representatives of the Indian and Nepalese Governments. Troops from the 7th and 10th Gorkha Rifles opted against the transfer to the British Army in large numbers. There was no Gorkha Regiment, left in the Indian Army with troops from Eastern Nepal. Keeping in mind the large numbers of non-optees and their fighting qualities it was decided to re-raise the 11th Gorkha Rifles. Official orders to raise the 11 Gorkha Rifles, its Regimental Centre and two battalions, the Third and the Fourth at Palampur were issued in December 1947. Subsequently on January 1, 1948, the Regimental Centre and 3/11 GR (with strength from 2/7 GR) were raised at Palampur and Santa Cruz, Mumbai respectively. In 1948, as the number of non-optees increased the 4/11 GR and the 5/11 GR were also raised. Its Regimental Centre is Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh and its Regimental insignia is a pair of crossed khukris (a Gorkha dagger) with the Roman numeral XI in-between. Its Regimental motto is ‘Yatraham Vijayastatra’ (The Metaphor for Victory) and its war cry is ‘Jai Mahakali, Ayo Gorkhali (Victory to Mahakali, The Gorkhas Are Here).