It’s interesting to observe in a time when the political and economic leaders of the world are being exposed for their inability to actually see where they are steering us that the phenomenon of ‘celebrity leadership’ is evolving. While Joanna Lumley is praised by many (though not all) for her forthrightness and effectiveness in influencing government policy on immigration here in the UK – in Nepal she is welcomed like a queen!
Why? Because she resolutely spoke her mind and followed her convictions without the baggage of political dogma or personal self-interest. She was battling on behalf of others to forge a sense of belonging between a nation and those who had fought in war on its behalf.
So the people of Nepal see Joanna Lumley as a hero, or even a goddess, who has opened up a door of opportunity to them. And she is seen as having formalised a respect due to Gurkhas who have fought in wars not of their making. It should be noted that the immigration controls that she managed to force into place was a basic alignment of immigration policy – as post-1997 serving Gurkhas and their families already had the right to settlement in the UK. But this detail is not what the public see – they see a woman who has stood up for justice and equality.
There are worriers out there who will fear a flood of Nepali immigrants arriving on the back of this. Is that fear justified? It’s unlikely that large numbers of retired soldiers and their families will uproot themselves from what is for most in Nepal a very traditional way of life. And a Gurkha’s pension will go a lot further in Nepal than it will on the high streets of Britain! In my opnion there will be a trickle of human migration, certainly not a flood.
But the serious point remains that in terms of defining leadership on a matter of human liberty and respect it was left to an actress – granted, someone who has an understanding of the post-colonial Indian sub-continent – rather than the politicians and national governors who actually held the responsibility for addressing this situation.
And in terms of earning respect as a leader – there is now a new name in the Nepalese firmament.
