Assam Rifles

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in news?
• The Assam Rifles
• Uniqueness of Assam Rifles: Dual Control
• What are the Issues associated with dual control of Assam rifles?
• What are the Stands of different institutions on the issue of dual control of Assam rifles?

 

Why in news?

• In an unprecedented move, the Manipur Police have registered a criminal case against the Assam Rifles for obstruction of duty and criminal intimidation.
• The police have accused the personnel of the 9th battalion of the Assam Rifles of the arrogant act of giving a chance to the accused Kuki militants to escape freely to a safe zone.
• Army, however, refuted the claim. It said that the Assam Rifles Battalion acted strictly in accordance with the mandate of the unified headquarters of strict enforcement of buffer zone guidelines. 
  • As per the defence officials, the place where the police team wanted to proceed to was a “buffer zone”.
    • The Centre has deployed Central armed police forces and the Army in the “buffer zones” in the foothills where Kuki and Meitei settlements lie adjacent to each other.
  • There were instructions from the combined headquarters that only Central security forces would operate there.

What is the Assam Rifles?

• About
  • Assam Rifles is one of the six Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) that come under the MHA’s administrative control. 
  • The other forces being: the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Border Security Force (BSF), the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
  • Besides maintaining law and order in the Northeast (a task it performs together with the Army), the Assam Rifles also guards the border with Myanmar in the region.  
• Historical Background
  • Its history dating back to 1835 when its precursor, Cachar Levy, was formed in the Northeast to protect British Tea estates and their settlements against tribal raids.
  • Over the period of time, it was expanded and rechristened Assam Military Police Battalion, with additional battalions.
  • It was later renamed as Assam Rifles. This is where the dual structure was perhaps born.
    • This is because even as it continued to operate as a police force, the ‘Rifles’ tag indicated it was on a par with Army units.
• Contributions of Assam rifles
  • Since its formation in 1835, Assam Rifles has gone on to fight in two World Wars, the Sino-Indian war of 1962.
  • It is used as an anti-insurgency force against militant groups in the North East.
  • The Post-Independence role of the Assam Rifles continued to evolve ranging from 
    • conventional combat role during Sino-India War 1962, 
    • operating in foreign land as part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) to Sri Lanka in 1987 (Op Pawan) 
    • to peacekeeping role in the North-Eastern areas of India.
  • It remains the most awarded paramilitary force in both pre- and post-independent India.

 

Uniqueness of Assam Rifles: Dual Control

• It is the only paramilitary force with a dual control structure. 
  • The administrative control of the force is with the MHA.
  • Its operational control is with the Indian Army, which is under the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
• Hence, salaries and infrastructure for this force is provided by the MHA, but the deployment, posting, transfer and deputation of the personnel is decided by the Army.

 

What are the Issues associated with dual control of Assam rifles?

• Problems of coordination
  • Many analysts believe that this dual control structure is arbitrary, unreasonable and in violation of the rights of Assam Rifles personnel.
  • It also leads to problems of coordination. 
• Disparity in pay scale
  • Although, the Assam Rifles personnel operate alongside the Army on similar duties, there is a disparity in the pay scale.
  • Army personnel enjoy better perks and retirement benefits which are far higher compared to CAPFs under MHA.
  • On the other hand, Army personnel also retire early, at 35, while the retirement age in CAPF is 60 years.
  • Army personnel also get one rank one pension which is not available to CAPFs.

 

What are the Stands of different institutions on the issue of dual control of Assam rifles?

• Stand of MHA
  • MHA believes that there is no reason to make an exception for the Assam Rifles given all other CAPFs are under the total control of the MHA.
  • It argues that all the border guarding forces are under the operational control of the MHA. 
    • Hence, Assam Rifles coming under MHA will give border guarding a comprehensive and integrated approach.
  • MHA also contend that Assam Rifles continues to function on the pattern set during the 1960s and 
    • the ministry would want to make guarding of the Indo-Myanmar border on the lines of other CAPFs.
• Stand of MoD
  • Army believes that the Assam Rifles has worked well in coordination with Army and frees up the armed forces from many of its responsibilities.
    • This enables army to focus on its core strengths.
    • Hence, there is no need to fix what isn’t broken
  • It has also argued that Assam Rifles was always a military force and not a police force and has been built like that. 
  • It has argued that giving the control of the force to MHA or merging it with any other CAPF will confuse the force and jeopardise national security.
• Stand of Centre on this issue
  • In 2013 that MHA first made a proposal to take operational control of the Assam Rifles and merge it with the BSF.
    • However, it not be executed as no agreeable ground could be found.
  • In November 2019, the MHA called for the merger of the Assam Rifles with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
  • Now, the Indian Army has started pushing for not only total control of Assam Rifles but also operational control over ITBP, which guards the Sino-Indian border
  • The matter is said to be pending with the Cabinet Committee on Security and discussions are ongoing between the two ministries concerned.

 

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Q1) Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)?

Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBPF) is a Central Armed Police Force functioning under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. The ITBPF was raised on 24th October, 1962, and is a border guarding police force specializing in high altitude operations.

 

Q2) What is Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) to Sri Lanka??

Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) was the Indian military contingent performing a peacekeeping operation in Sri Lanka between 1987 and 1990. It was formed under the mandate of the 1987 Indo-Sri Lankan Accord that aimed to end the Sri Lankan Civil War between Sri Lankan Tamil militant groups such as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan military.

 

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Source: Story of the Assam Rifles, against whom Manipur Police have filed an FIR | The Hindu | Indian Express