SPOTLIGHT ON THE SENTINELS

Manipur government wants the Assam Rifles replaced, but the Union home ministry is focused on upgrading infrastructure and connectivity before deciding who guards the state

- NAMRATA BIJI AHUJA

The generals, men in khaki, bureaucrats and kurta-clad politicians have all put on their thinking hats to reeval uate the role of the Assam Rifles in Manipur. The two-century-old force, which is called the ‘Sentinels of the Northeast’, is now facing what some may term an existential crisis.

The Assam Rifles came into being in 1835 as a militia called the Cachar Levy. It was formed with 750 men, mainly to protect British tea estates and settlements against tribal raiders. Later, it was renamed the Frontier Force and its role was expanded to carrying out “punitive expeditions” across the borders of Assam. The force was merged with three Assam military police battalions in 1870. It saw action during World War I—around 3,000 men were sent to Europe and the Middle East—and got its current name in 1917. Its strength today stands at 46 battalions and the primary role has evolved into counterinsurgency in the northeast and security along the borders with Myanmar under control of the Indian Army (it is headed by a lieutenant general rank officer, with sector headquarters commanded by brigadiers).

The Manipur violence has led to heated debates between the critics and supporters of the paramilitary force. Multiple options are now being considered. Should the Assam Rifles be relieved from the Myanmar border and tasked only with counterinsurgency? Or vice versa? Or, should there be a radical change in the form, shape and control of the force? These are some of the questions before the authorities.