Joanna Lumley is leaving for a trip to Nepal, where she is expected to be welcomed as a heroine by thousands of Gurkhas and their families.
The Absolutely Fabulous actress's role in a campaign to allow those who fought for Britain to settle here was considered instrumental.
Lumley, whose late father was an officer in the Gurkha regiment, said a great injustice had been righted when the Government finally relented in May and said all Gurkha veterans with four years' service would be allowed to move to the UK.
Lumley and Gurkha Justice campaigner Peter Carroll are leaving Heathrow on Saturday night and large crowds are expected to greet them when they arrive in Kathmandu at 3pm local time on Sunday.
"I understand there will be a huge, huge reception at the airport," Mr Carroll said. "It's almost like a head of state visiting."
Mr Carroll said he expects to be completely overshadowed by Lumley, although the Folkestone councillor is well known in Nepal for launching the campaign.
He approached Lumley after a woman in Kent tapped him on the shoulder and suggested he ask her to get involved, and he said: "The rest is history."
The group will meet president Dr Ram Baran Yadav and PM Madhav Kumar Nepal on Monday morning before they address a meeting at the city hall of Kathmandu.
They will have afternoon tea with the British ambassador to the country, Dr Andrew Hall, before laying a wreath at a war memorial near the Embassy.
Lumley will also visit Jhapa and Dharan to meet Gurkhas, Pokhara to hold talks with members of the charity the Gurkha Welfare Trust and also Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha.
No comments:
Post a Comment