Minister lauds Assam Rifles' role in northeast

Shillong, March 24 (IANS) Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai on Thursday said that the Assam Rifles has shown exemplary performance in the fight against insurgency in the northeast region and in preventing drug smuggling along the India-Myanmar border.

Addressing the 187th Raising Day celebrations of the Assam Rifles in Shillong as Chief Guest, the minister said that the Assam Rifles during its glorious history has contributed significantly to the maintenance of peace and harmony in the insurgency affected areas of the northeast and Jammu and Kashmir, and has performed exemplary work in preventing drug trafficking.

Keeping this in mind, the government has given the Assam Rifles the powers under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

"Assam Rifles is an all-rounder force, it has two battalions stationed in Jammu and Kashmir and one NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) battalion, which is playing its active role in case of natural calamities," he said.

Rai said that the Home Ministry has given in-principle approval to the formation of five additional battalions so that after field postings, jawans can get an opportunity to live with their families in a friendly environment.

The Union Minister said Assam Rifles has made concerted efforts for gender equality and women's empowerment which has resulted in the induction of 1,187 women into the force.

The number of women soldiers in the force would increase further, he added. The para-military force has planted about 31 lakh trees which is the highest among all the forces under the Home Ministry.

Assam Rifles has the unique distinction of being conferred with the most number of gallantry awards among all paramilitary forces during its long history, he pointed out.

The Minister recalled the supreme sacrifices made by Col Viplav Tripathi and four bravehearts in the Manipur encounter with insurgents in November last year in which the wife and child of Col Tripathi were also killed.

The MoS Home said that the Assam Rifles was established in 1835 as the "Cachar Levy".

The Director General of Assam Rifles, Lt Gen P.C. Nair, senior officers and jawans of the force and their families from across the country also attended the function through video conferencing.