Frontier India Defence & Strategic News Service

Written on May 16, 2008 – 9:38 am | by Lt Col (Retd.) A.K Sam Sharma |

The protests and rallies by Tibetan Budhist monks in Lhasa & its high-handed smothering and quelling by the Chinese Police and the PLA, takes one back to similar alarming happenings four to five decades ago. Also, reminds one of the day in 1959, when forward elements of The Assam Rifles, deployed on the Indo-Tibetan Border, received His Holiness, The Dalai Lama and his entourage fleeing into India, and ensured its safe passage up to Misamari, in the foot-hills of the then ( North East Frontier Agency) NEFA…. The Dalai Lama, is now safely ensconced in Mcleodgunj, Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, India. For once, he is showing pique and ire. He is at one with the angst-driven and seething Tibetan youth, who have been hogging the TV screens & internet sites, in a spate of demonstrations all over the world. He is pressing and asking for an international inquiry into the current cultural genocide & ethnic repression now be brutally precipitated in Tibet . The revered saint-like figure, that, he still is, and the ultimate pragmatist for one; he is rooting only for more Tibetan autonomy, and not independence from Han China, a demand in keeping with his stance of the ‘middle-path”, despite the ‘gang of three’( Wang Lequan,Li Dezhu, Zhang Qingli) labeling him as a “wolf in monks clothing and a devil in human form” going all out to sabotage the Peking Olympics! But the G o India has especially made known to, and assured, China, that, the Oylmpics flame will have trouble-free free-run through India.

The Assam Rifles is no longer responsible for the Indo-Tibetan IB. It is the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) which is. They have sealed it, at the behest of the Indian Government, fearing another exodus into India; and to thwart attempts by India-based Tibetan youth leading rag-tag protest bands into Lhasa; just to make sure that, the on-going rapprochement with China does not suffer. For their part, the PLA, in civvies, have also deployed inside Nepal to seal the Nepal-Tibet border! There are many red faces in the MEA! Yet no seems to care that, the last time, Nehru & Co looked the other –way regarding the Dalai Lama’s perambulations, the PLA came down heavily in the Kameng Sub-division of the erstwhile NEFA! Nirupama Rao, the Indian ambassador, in Peking was summoned at 2 in the morning, in a high-handed & very public snub; to hand out the Official Chinese pique over the Indians not be able to handle the Dalai Lama and his disciples in India to the satisfaction of the afore said ‘gang of three ’ )

The Assam Rifles is the oldest Para Military Force in India; rather the only paramilitary Force in strictest sense of the term. It traces its genesis back to 1835, when it was raised as a semi-military force and known as The Cachar Levy . This was extensively used for extending the administrative control over remote tribal areas in very difficult conditions with only rudimentary administrative back-up and at nominal pecuniary cost; however, it bore all odds with exemplary fortitude and stoicism—– characteristics which still under lie the ethos of The Force to date. Small townships, such as Aizawl, Lungleh, Kohima, Mokokchung, Tuensang, Haflong, Cherrapunji and Tura gradually mushroomed around its outposts. These are bustling population centres now. .

Variously designated and reorganised from time to time, as the Assam Frontier Police (1883), the Assam Military Police (1891) and Eastern Bengal and Assam Military Police (1913), it came to be known by its present name of the Assam Rifles, in 1917 in recognition of its contribution to the war effort during WW I.

They fought shoulder to shoulder alongside regular Indian Army troops in the Middle East during WW I. Later on, men were provided to the army columns on punitive expeditions into the erstwhile Assam Hill Districts and North Eastern Frontier Agency (NEFA) and also some in trans-border reprisal missions in Burma. It was used for restoration of law and order in Patna in 1917 and also against the Mopla rebels in 1924. WW II saw it functioning as elements of the much fabled, hush-hush and ghost-like “V” Force, on reconnaissance and harassment missions behind Japanese lines in Burma. Many of its sub units fought alongside regular British and Indian troops in the fiercely contested battles of the Burma Front from Ukhrul to Kohima. One platoon was even para-dropped behind the Japanese lines on the Sittang river!. Some of its units did a historic and yeoman service in the management, evacuation and control of refugees staggering out on long, arduous and miserable treks in the dense jungles of Burma/NEFA in the face of the onslaught of the Imperial Japanese Army in the First Burma Campaign of WW II.

The Assam Rifles have managed to transform pre-historic animistic societies of the Northeast from the stone-age to space-age in three or four generations flat. Their humane and tactful handling of the inhabitants of our far-flung regions and tribal areas; be it during the initial era of pacification, or the in the immediate post-Independence period of political turmoil, instability, ethnic tribal aspirations and resultant disturbed conditions; the Assam Rifles boys have managed to win the hearts and minds of the populace in a good natured and large-hearted manner. It is; therefore, not for nothing, that the famous and erudite anthropologist and naturalist Verrier Elwin, who was nominated by the Government of India, as adviser on Tribal Affairs to North-East Frontier Agency; has bestowed on them a singularly significant sobriquet of sorts: “The Friends Of The Hill People”! This is what he has said of them in tribute:-

“The custodians of law and order, the pioneers of every advance in to the interior , the guardians of our borders and, the friends of the hill people. Modestly, and with out fuss, they have faced every hardship and difficulty, and thousands of villagers in the wildest of areas think of them with affection and gratitude.”

Except for the odd case, the AR counter-insurgency operations have been characterized by their total lack of any distasteful post- operation fall-out. The modus-operandi is to rely heavily on real-time intelligence and very swift reactions against pin-point targets and specific individuals. They are especially proficient in the un-orthodox type of small-scale missions to seek and destroy/apprehend hostiles. The case-study of one such mission, code named Operation “Zebra”, successfully launched and executed by 19 AR, was included in the curriculum of training of army infantry battalions being inducted for counter insurgency operations.

The AR boys are past masters at roughing it out and, of course, very adept at improvisation, making-do and living off the land with good grace. They know the border areas of their deployment like the palms of their hands. Experts in water crossing expedients, braving the elements and long cross-country marches on a self contained basis, they lend themselves excellently to their role as “the sentinels of the North East” as Major General DK Palit, VrC, FRGS (Retd) refers to them in his definitive regimental history of this remarkable Force..

They have the added advantage of conversing in the local lingo— a definite asset in a counter insurgency environment. This capability of the AR is further augmented by the presence of the locally recruited lads in units. Properly handled, these boys are of a real treasure-value in different situations as obtained in disturbed areas.

Till Independence, The AR formed an integral part of the civil police under the Inspector General of Police, Assam. At that time the units were commanded by civilians/police officers, though only those with a military background were preferred. This arrangement was not found to be particularly satisfactory as it did not provide the desired degree of military captaincy, particularly on mobile missions. The Indian Army, was therefore; asked for providing leadership at the officer-level, on a case to case volunteer basis. For over a hundred years now, the Indian Army has thus been providing the sub-unit/ unit leadership. On the transfer of power; in Colonel Sidhiman Rai, MC; The Force has its first Indian IG. Since then, very senior army officers have led the AR at the higher rungs of command.

Prior to 1965, this force was under the Ministry of External Affairs who were looking after the tribal areas till then. It was transferred to the Ministry of Home Affairs when the latter took over this responsibility.

From a nominal complement of only five battalions in 1947, it grew to 17 by 1960, to 21 by 1968, to a substantial 45 as of now. In addition, The Force has several range HQs, a training center, and a number of logistics units under the HQ DG AR, Shillong..

In a counter-insurgency scenario, the combat potential of the AR battalions is as good as that of the regular Indian Army infantry battalions, and in many cases surpassed that of the of the Army/ Rashtriya Rifles.

Some notable achievements and land mark events concerning the AR are recounted below:-

v In the disastrous 1950 earthquake in Upper Assam (Sadiya) , 2 AR jawans rendered immediate and invaluable help in the reconstruction, resettlement and rehabilitation of the victims.

v In 1959, it was the forward elements of this Force that received His Holiness The Dalai Lama and his entourage escaping to safety into India, and ensured their safe passage up to Misamari.

v The initial onslaught of the Chinese in1962 was borne by delaying elements of the AR. They gave a good account of themselves in this delaying role to enable some formations of the Indian Army to take up whatever defences that they were able to manage in the event.

v The Assam Rifles filled the void, in toto, in Nagaland and Manipur after the army formations deployed there were pulled out for operations in the West during the 1965 Indo-Pak War. They conducted counter insurgency operations and were in addition responsible for the general law and order situation. The AR deployment was further stretched as they were to stand in for the army along the Indo-Tibetan border and the international border with the erstwhile East Pakistan in Tripura. Rather thin on the ground; as indeed they undoubtedly were, they fulfilled their assignments with the usual elan and fortitude.

v Similarly, the AR relieved the army for operations in the 1971 Bangladesh War. This time, their brief encompassed not only Nagaland and Manipur but also Mizoram and Tripura , where active counter insurgency operations were in full swing.

v 22, 23 and 26 AR were committed for Op Pawan in Sri Lanka from Dec 1988 to Feb 1990. They were under the direct operational control of the army. Adept in the counter insurgency-type operations under taken there, they were on home ground, as such came out with their colours flying very high!

v Two battalions of AR; the 7 and the 26; have operated in the Srinagar Valley

with great success. Their catches were more than those of the adjoining army units. Army formation commanders rated their performance very high.

At present The Force is deployed primarily in the North-East bordering Mynamar & Bangladesh. It is bound to have its hands full what with the ‘Look East’ policy, now finding favour with the GoI, and the old WWII overland routes to China, across Northern Mynamar (Burma) being used, part of the way; after modifications; to reach the Thai peninsula, and beyond, to South East Asia.

The AR ethos is, one of accountability and honesty; sincerity and sagacity; of the ‘do or die’ kind, as such, The Assam Rifles has a proud record of devotion to duty and exemplary service. Nothing denotes it better then perhaps the many honours and accolades bestowed on its rank and file. They have gone on to win as many as 1168 Army awards ( including three Ashok Chakras Class 1; 29 Kirti Chakras, 24 Shaurya Chakras, and 5 Vir Chakras) after Independence, and hundreds from their ranks have also given the supreme sacrifice in the service to the Nation. 7 & 26 ARs received Unit Citations in J&K; five other battalions else where in CI Ops. Pre-Independence awards include 13 IOMs ( equated with the VC) & 5 MCs amongst many others.

( ____Lt Col A K Sharma (Retd). . . .an Ex-3 Gorkha Rifles; Indian Army; is a former Commandant of 19 Assam Rifles ,then based around Serchchip, MIZORAM and engaged in active counter-insurgency operations against the Mizo National Front’s (MNF) so called MIZO NATIONAL ARMY (MNA).)