The Assam Rifles (AR) is a

central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...

paramilitary A paramilitary is an organization whose structure, tactics, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, but is not part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. Paramilitary units carr ...

force responsible for

border security Border control refers to measures taken by governments to monitor and regulate the movement of people, animals, and goods across land, air, and maritime borders. While border control is typically associated with international borders, it a ...

counter-insurgency Counterinsurgency (COIN) is "the totality of actions aimed at defeating irregular forces". The Oxford English Dictionary defines counterinsurgency as any "military or political action taken against the activities of guerrillas or revolutionar ...

, and maintaining law and order in

Northeast India , native_name_lang = mni , settlement_type = , image_skyline = , image_alt = , image_caption = , motto = , image_map = Northeast india.png , ...

. It guards the Indo-Myanmar border. The Assam rifles is the oldest paramilitary force of India and Its comes under the administration of the

Ministry of Home Affairs An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs. Lists of current ministries of internal affairs Named "ministry" * Ministry ...

, while its operational control is maintained by the

Indian Army The Indian Army is the Land warfare, land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Arm ...

. Being a police force, its recruitment, perks, promotions, and retirement policies are governed by CAPF rules. Around 80 percent of its officers are deputed from the Indian Army and remaining from AR cadre. The AR is commanded by the Director General of the Assam Rifles (DG AR) who is appointed by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The AR is also dubbed as "Sentinels of North East" and "Friends of the Hill People". It is the oldest paramilitary force in India, originally raised in 1835 as Cachar Levy, a

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

to protect

tea garden A tea garden is an outdoor space or garden where tea and light refreshments are served, or any garden with which the drinking of tea is associated. Especially in India, it is also a common term for a tea plantation. The tea garden was a part ...

s and fertile plains of

Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...

against unruly tribes. Its scope increased with the expansion of

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was him ...

Northeast India , native_name_lang = mni , settlement_type = , image_skyline = , image_alt = , image_caption = , motto = , image_map = Northeast india.png , ...

, and were used against insurgency in the region. The force was redesigned as Assam Frontier Police in 1883, Assam Military Police in 1891, and East Bengal and Assam Military Police in 1913. It got its present name in 1917. After independence, the AR functioned under the Ministry of External Affairs. Its operational control was transferred to the Indian Army post

Sino-Indian War The Sino-Indian War took place between China and India from October to November 1962, as a major flare-up of the Sino-Indian border dispute. There had been a series of violent border skirmishes between the two countries after the 1959 Tibet ...

of 1962. It came under the administration of Ministry of Home Affairs in 1965, with Army retaining operational control. Over the course of its history, the Assam Rifles have served in a number of roles, conflicts and theatres including

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, they served in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

and the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

, and

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, where they served mainly in

Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...

. After the Chinese annexation of Tibet, the Assam Rifles were tasked with manning the Tibetan border of Assam Himalayan region. They were also instrumental in maintaining law and order in

Arunachal Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh (, ) is a state in Northeastern India. It was formed from the erstwhile North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region, and became a state on 20 February 1987. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south. It shares ...

. As of 2019-2020 report of Ministry of Home Affairs, there are 46 battalions of Assam Rifles with a sanctioned strength of 65,143 personnel. They perform many roles including the provision of internal security under the control of the army through the conduct of

counterinsurgency Counterinsurgency (COIN) is "the totality of actions aimed at defeating irregular forces". The Oxford English Dictionary defines counterinsurgency as any "military or political action taken against the activities of guerrillas or revolutionari ...

and border security operations, provision of aid to the civilians in times of emergency, and the provision of

communications Communication (from la, communicare, meaning "to share" or "to be in relation with") is usually defined as the transmission of information. The term may also refer to the message communicated through such transmissions or the field of inquir ...

, medical assistance and education in remote areas. In times of war they can also be used as a combat force to secure rear areas if needed. Since 2002, the force has been given the role of guarding the India–Myanmar border.

History

Stamp of India - 1985 - Colnect 167187 - The Assam Rifles Sentinels of the North East

Early history

The present day Assam Rifles can trace its origins to a paramilitary force known as ''Cachar Levy'' which was established by the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

in 1835 in the

region. The Assam Rifles boasts of being the oldest paramilitary force. With approximately seven hundred and fifty men, this force was formed as a police unit to protect settlements against tribal raids and other assaults as British rule slowly moved towards the north east parts of India. Despite problems with equipment and training, the contribution of this force in opening the region to administration and commerce was nevertheless quite significant and over time they have become known as the "right arm of the civil and heleft arm of the military" in the region. In 1870 these existing elements were merged into three Assam Military Police battalions which were spread out in the

Lushai Hills The Lushai (Pron: ˌlʊˈʃaɪ) Hills (or Mizo Hills) are a mountain range in Mizoram and Manipur, India. The range is part of the Patkai range system and its highest point is 2,157 m high Phawngpui, also known as 'Blue Mountain'. Flora and fa ...

(later 1st battalion), Lakhimpur (2nd battalion) and Naga Hills (3rd battalion). A fourth battalion was later formed

Imphal Imphal ( Meitei pronunciation: /im.pʰal/; English pronunciation: ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Manipur. The metropolitan centre of the city contains the ruins of Kangla Palace (also known as Kangla Fort), the royal seat of the f ...

in 1915. Following India's independence, Col. Sidhiman Rai, MC, was appointed the first Indian DG of Assam Rifles. Since then the name of the force has undergone a number of changes, as have the roles that it has been required to perform.

World War I and Interwar years

During

, men from what was then known as the ''Assam Military Police'' were part of the Indian forces that fought in Europe and the Middle East. Over three thousand men from the force were provided to the Gorkha regiments of the Indian Army in this time, earning seventy-six gallantry awards during the conflict including seven

Indian Order of Merit The Indian Order of Merit (IOM) was a military and civilian decoration of British India. It was established in 1837, (General Order of the Governor-General of India, No. 94 of 1 May 1837) although following the Partition of India in 1947 it was ...

awards and five Indian Distinguished Service Medals. These men performed with such distinction that the name ''Assam Rifles'' was assigned in 1917 as recognition of their part in the war. Elements of the force were also utilised in India during the war, being used to maintain internal security in order to free up troops from the army for use overseas. During this time, the most notable action occurred in 1917 when columns of the Assam Rifles were despatched to

Patna Patna ( ), historically known as Pataliputra, is the capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Patna had a population of 2.35 million, making it the 19th largest city in India. ...

, to restore law and order in the riot-torn city. After the war the force returned to northern India where they were used to maintain security amidst growing civil unrest and disorder. In concert with the

British Indian Army The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which cou ...

, they also undertook a number of expeditions into remote tribal areas along the north-east frontier and into Burma. In 1924 they were sent to Malabar, which was then still part of the

Madras Presidency The Madras Presidency, or the Presidency of Fort St. George, also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision (presidency) of British India. At its greatest extent, the presidency included most of southern India, including the ...

, to carry out operations against the Mopla rebels.

World War II

During

, the role of the Assam Rifles evolved once more as they were called upon to undertake even more varied tasks due to their status as both a police and military organisation. This time, however, their service would be undertaken closer to home. After the lightning Japanese advance in 1942, the Assam Rifles fought a number of Independent actions behind enemy lines as the task of rear-area defence and rear-guard often fell to them during the

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

retreat into India. Later, as a large influx of refugees fled from the advancing Japanese into India, the Assam Rifles were given the task of managing and organising this mass of humanity. They also organized a resistance group on the Indo–Burmese border to counter the Japanese invasion and to harass the enemy line of communications. This group became known as "Victor Force" (or sometimes V-Force), and the nucleus of it was formed from platoons made up of men from the Assam Rifles. As part of this force, Assam Rifles platoons were used as covering forces during the latter stages of the Burma Campaign. Other elements fought in the defensive "boxes" around Kohima, whilst another, from the 4th Battalion, trained as airborne troops, was dropped near the

Sittang River The Sittaung River ( my, စစ်တောင်းမြစ် ; formerly, the Sittang or Sittounghttps://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/UNGEGN/docs/8th-uncsgn-docs/inf/8th_UNCSGN_econf.94_INF.75.pdf ) is a river in south central Myanmar in Bago ...

behind Japanese lines. The 1st Battalion, as part of

Lushai Brigade The Lushai Brigade was an improvised fighting formation of the British Indian Army which was formed during World War II. It participated in the Battle of Imphal and the Burma Campaign. History In March 1944, the Imperial Japanese Army invaded ...

was sent ahead of the rest of the force to provide resistance in the

Chin Hills The Chin Hills are a range of mountains in Chin State, northwestern Burma (Myanmar), that extends northward into India's Manipur state. Geography The highest peak in the Chin Hills is Khonu Msung, or Mount Victoria, in southern Chin State, w ...

. As a testament to the performance of Assam Rifles men during the war, members of the unit received forty-eight gallantry awards. These included: three MBE's, five

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC ...

es, 4 Orders of British India, one

, 13 Military Medals, 15 Indian Distinguished Service Medals and 7

British Empire Medal The British Empire Medal (BEM; formerly British Empire Medal for Meritorious Service) is a British and Commonwealth award for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Crown. The current honour was created in 1922 to ...

Postwar period

Following the end of the war the five Assam Rifles battalions became part of the civil police under the Assam Inspector General of Police. After independence, however, the Indian government assigned the Assam Rifles its own Director General, who is sent on tenure based postings from the

. As the numbers of the force and the number of battalions gradually increased, the rank of the force commander was upgraded to Director General, which is occupied by a

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on th ...

ranking officer in the Indian Army. The present Director General of the Assam Rifles Pradeep Chandran Nair. Prior to 1965, this force was under the Ministry of External Affairs, who were looking after NEFA affairs. Later, it was transferred to the

, with Indian Army retaining operational control. From a nominal complement of only five battalions in 1947, it has grown to 33 with several range HQs. A training center, and a number of logistics units function under the HQ DGAR, Shillong. The Assam Rifles Public School is a much sought after education institute in the North East. The role of the Assam Rifles continued to evolve when in 1950 a devastating earthquake hit the Assam region and the force was called in to assist in the reconstruction of the areas and help in the resettlement and rehabilitation of those affected by it. Later the force was once again called to undertake a combat role when, during the 1962

elements were used to delay the advancing Chinese forces so that the Indian Army could establish its defence lines. During this time and since then, the Assam Rifles also maintained their peacekeeping role in the northern areas of India in the face of growing tribal unrest and insurgency. In this environment the maintenance of law and order, countering insurgency and reassuring the people of the region became important tasks for the security forces and initially they fell to the Assam Rifles before the Army assumed control, and then later their experience and goodwill in the region was drawn upon in order to assist the army in conducting these tasks. In recognition of the unit's skill in counterinsurgency operations, three battalions were deployed on

Operation Pawan Operation Pawan ( hi, कार्यवाही पवन ''Kãryvãhi Pavan'', lit. "Operation Wind") was the code name assigned to the operation by the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) to take control of Jaffna from the Liberation Tigers o ...

in Sri Lanka between December 1988 and February 1990. Through its deployment in what has become known as the " tribal belt", the Assam Rifles have developed an ethos that is based primarily upon the notion of extending the hand of friendship with the people of the region despite the troubles that have occurred there. This has resulted in their employment in a number of developmental activities in the region as they have worked to bring order and security to it. As such, their role has been further expanded to include the provision of medical assistance and basic education, assisting in reconstruction and agriculture and handling communications in remote areas. From a force of 5 battalions in 1947, the Assam Rifles has grown substantially over the years. In 1960 there were 17 battalions, in 1968 there were 21 and today there are 46 battalions. In addition, the force has several area HQs, a training centre that processes up to 1,800 recruits at time, and a number of logistics units.

Organization

The Assam Rifles consists of a Director General Headquarter in

Shillong Shillong () is a hill station and the capital of Meghalaya, a state in northeastern India, which means "The Abode of Clouds". It is the headquarters of the East Khasi Hills district. Shillong is the 330th most populous city in India with a ...

, 3 Inspectorate General Headquarters, 12 Sector Headquarters, 46 Battalions, one Training Centre and administrative elements with a total authorized strength of 65,143 personnel.

Organization structure

HQ DGAR
The Assam Rifles is commanded by an officer of the rank of Lieutenant General from the

, who is known as the Director General of the Assam Rifles (DG AR). The DG AR has their office at the HQ Directorate General of Assam Rifle at Shillong, unlike other

Central Armed Police Forces Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) is the collective name of central police organisations in India under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). These are technically paramilitary forces formerly known as Central Para-Military Forces (CPMF). Sinc ...

which are located at Delh. HQ IGAR
HQ Inspector General Assam Rifles comes next in chain of command after HQ MGAR. It is commanded by an officer of the rank of

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

from the

and exercises command and control over the sector HQs. Sector HQ
The Sector HQ are commanded by Army Officers of the rank of

Brigadier Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. ...

from the Army. The Sector HQ exercises direct command and control over the Assam Rifles Battalions deployed in its area of responsibility. Maintenance Group Assam Rifles (MGAR)
The Maintenance Groups located at various location provide the requisite administrative support to the Assam Rifles formations and battalions deployed in the field. The MGAR are commanded by officers of the rank of Lieutenant Colonel from the Army. Workshop
The workshop are co-located with the MGAR to provide repair and recovery cover to the field formations. These workshops further provide detachments to the Sector HQs to provide repair and recovery cover as far forward as possible to the battalions.

Areas covered

The areas covered by the Assam Rifle are themselves divided into sectors: * Assam Rifles North – Kohima, Nagaland ** Sector 5 – , Nagaland ** Sector 6 – Dimapur, Nagaland ** Sector 7 – Tuensang, Nagaland ** Sector 25 – Lekhapani, Assam * Assam Rifles South –

Imphal, Manipur Imphal (Meitei language, Meitei pronunciation: /im.pʰal/; English pronunciation: ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Manipur. The metropolitan centre of the city contains the ruins of Kangla Palace (also known as Kangla Fort), the roya ...

** Sector 9 – Imphal, Manipur ** Sector 10 – Ukhrul South, Manipur ** Sector 26 – Thoubal, Manipur ** Sector 27 – Churchandrapur, Manipur ** Sector 28 – Thoubal, Manipur * Assam Rifles East – Silchar, Assam ** Sector 21 – Agartala, Tripura ** Sector 22 –

Haflong, Assam Haflong is a town and headquarters of Dima Hasao district (formerly North Cachar Hills district) in the state of Assam in India. It is the only hill station in Assam. Etymology Haflong is a Dimasa word meaning '' ant hill''. Climate Haflo ...

** Sector 23 – Aizawl, Mizoram * Assam Rifles Training Centre & School – Dimapur, Nagaland

OrBat

* 1 Kohima Battalion (1 Assam Rifles)IGAR North * 2 Aizawl Battalion (2 Assam Rifles) (Second to none), Mizoram * 3 Lunglei Battalion (3 Assam Rifles) IGAR East: Tuipang, Mizoram * 4 Mantripukhri Battalion (4 Assam Rifles) * 5 Dimapur Battalion (5 Assam Rifles) * 6 Khonsa Battalion (6 Assam Rifles) IGAR North * 7 Ghaspani Battalion(7 Assam Rifles) IGAR North * 8 Serchhip Battalion (8 Assam Rifles): Mizoram * 9 Changlang Battalion (9 Assam Rifles) IGAR North * 10 Noney Battalion (10 Assam Rifles) * 11 Haflong Battalion (11 Assam Rifles) (Double First) IGAR East * 12 Joypur Battalion (12 Assam Rifles) * 13 Sehlon Battalion (13 Assam Rifles) IGAR South * 14 Chieswama Battalion (14 Assam Rifles) * 15 Sajik Tampak Battalion (15 Assam Rifles) IGAR South * 16 Keithelmanbi Battalions (16 Assam Rifles) IGAR South: Imphal East District, Manipur. * 17 Lokra Battalion (17 Assam Rifles) * 18 Agartala Battalion (18 Assam Rifles) * 19 Jairampur Battalion (19 Assam Rifles) (Magnificent Nineteen)IGAR North * 20 Tengnoupal Battalion (20 Assam Rifles) IGAR South * 21 Modi Battalion (21 Assam Rifles) * 22 Jwalamukhi Battalion (22 Assam Rifles) (Bais Bahadur) * 23 Mokokchung Battalion (23 Assam Rifles) IGAR North * 24 Shangshak Battalion (24 Assam Rifles) * 25 Churachandpur Battalion (25 Assam Rifles) * 26 Paribal Tekri Battalion (26 Assam Rifles) (Ujjawal Chhabbees) * 27 Thoubal Battalion (27 Assam Rifles) (Magnificiant Hornbills) * 28 Tuensang Battalion (28 Assam Rifles) IGAR North * 29 Khoupum Battalion (29 Assam Rifles) * 30 Joupi Battalion (30 Assam Rifles) * 31 Loktak Battalion (31 Assam Rifles) IGAR South * 32 Zunheboto Battalion (32 Assam Rifles) (Tenacious Thirtytwo) * 33 Maram Battalion (33 Assam Rifles); Chandel District, Manipur * 34 Wusan Battalion (34 Assam Rifles) * 35 Somsai Battalion (35 Assam Rifles) * 36 Jalukie Battalion (36 Assam Rifles) IGAR North * 37 Phundrei Battalion (37 Assam Rifles) IGAR South * 38 Shukhuvi Battalion (38 Assam Rifles) * 39 Srikona Battalion (39 Assam Rifles B & D Coy) * 40 Longding Battalion (40 Assam Rifles) IGAR North * 41 Kiphire Battalion (41 Assam Rifles): Kiphire Dist, Nagalan * 42 Chassad Battalions (42 Assam Rifles) * 43 Moreh Battalion (43 Assam Rifles) IGAR South * 44 Tamenglong Battalion (44 Assam Rifles) IGAR East * 45 Shamator Battalion (45 Assam Rifles) * 46 Khuga Battalion (46 Assam Rifles)

Decorations

Members of the Assam Rifles have received the following military decorations - ;Pre - Independence Awards ;Post - Independence Awards

Director General of Assam Rifles

The Director General Assam Rifles (DG AR) is the head of the Assam Rifles. The DG AR has their office in the Headquarters DG AR at

. Appointed by the Government of India, the DG AR reports to the

Minister of Home Affairs An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...

. The holder of this rank is a

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on th ...

-ranking officer of

. The position is currently held by Pradeep Chandran Nair.

Rank structure

;Officers ;Enlisted ranks

Historic rank structure

;Enlisted ranks

Notes

References

Bibliography

*
"History of the Assam Rifles".
Retrieved 25 February 2009.

Retrieved 25 February 2009. * Shakespear, Leslie. (1929). ''History of the Assam Rifles''. Macmillan: London. Reprinted in 1977 by Firma. *

External links

* {{Authority control 1835 establishments in British India Military units and formations established in 1835 Paramilitary forces of India British Indian Army regiments Non-military counterinsurgency organizations Federal law enforcement agencies of India Indian World War I regiments Indian World War II regiments Border guarding forces of India Specialist law enforcement agencies of India