Assam Rifles, one of the oldest paramilitary forces in the country, loves to promote themselves as the ‘Friends of the Hill People’ in their banners and hoardings, battalion and post gates besides promotional releases. For decades, the force has indeed done great work in the hills of the northeastern region through civic action programmes besides their mandate in counter-insurgency operations. Generations have gone past, but the tradition remains. In insurgency prone areas, security forces as a matter of policy tend to win the hearts and minds of the general population through regular interactions besides welfare activities and it has bore results.
The Assam Rifles is no exception. Its battalions have mostly been deployed mainly in the NE region with occasional deployments elsewhere and it is headquartered in Shillong. In fact, it would be safe to say that the said paramilitary forced has its roots in the region, not only in terms of deployment but also on account of its origins. The Northeast region, as we all know, is mostly composed of hilly regions with a sprinkling of valleys. So, it is but natural for some of the hill brethren to have emotional ties with the force because of the operational area and the composition of its personnel.
Many of its personnel were drawn from the local populace. Unlike the past, the force has now a twin mandate of not only counter insurgency operations but of border guarding duties also along the Indo-Myanmar border. The border guarding duty was originally with the Border Security Force (BSF) along the Indo-Myanmar stretch. But after a change in Government of India policy and the implementation of ‘One Border One Force’, the responsibility of Indo-Myanmar borderline fell in the arms of the Assam Rifles.
In the wake of the present ethnic clashes in Manipur, the force Assam Rifles was somehow drawn into the eye of the storm with the Kukis (later Kuki-Zo) celebrating them as their protectors and the valley population accusing them of a bias against the Meiteis. The credibility that they had built up over the decades were suddenly gone. But if we remember correctly, before the clashes broke out there was a hue and cry over the announcement of opening new police stations and outposts along the Indo-Myanmar border.
Several village chiefs and civil bodies of the border district of Tengnoupal had opposed the recent state government decision to set up police outposts along Manipur sector’s India-Myanmar boundary. They said, the Assam Rifles are competent and relevant enough to check and control movement of contraband drugs and to protect the border areas and its inhabitants while they do not have faith and confidence in the state police force because of rampant practice of bribery and involvement of state police personnel in peddling of drugs. It is good that the village chiefs have full faith and confidence in Assam Rifles and it is a shot in the arm for the central paramilitary force.
Well coming back to the crisis which continue to engulf the state for more than a year, there was always a common allegation among the valley based CSOs and Meira Paibi groups that it mostly works in favour of one community, that is the ‘Kuki-Zo’ population and its militant groups. There was a time when Kuki women lay prostate before the AR commander and pulling at his trousers in Kangpokpi not to leave the place while pledging that they will be in service for him and the force.
Now, the Kuki-Zo are out in force to object to a recent decision by the central government to replace the Assam Rifles formation with CRPF in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi. They even say, they do not have faith in other paramilitary forces other than Assam Rifles. And, it is certainly not helping the efforts of Assam Rifles to project itself as a neutral force. Even in the hill areas also, there is still a doubt whether the Nagas consider them as a friendly force.
(The views expressed are personal)
