Assam Rifles
| Assam Rifles | |
|---|---|
| Common name | আসাম ৰাইফেলস |
Coat of arms of the Assam Rifles
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| Motto | Friends of the Hill People & Sentinels of the North East |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1835 |
| Employees | 66,411 Active Personnel |
| Annual budget | ₹4,801.84 crore (US$710 million)(2017–18 est.) |
| Legal personality | Governmental: Government agency |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Federal agency | IN |
| Governing body | Ministry of Home Affairs (India) |
| Constituting instrument | Assam Rifles Act, 2006 & Rules 2010 |
| General nature |
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| Specialist jurisdiction | Paramilitary law enforcement, counter insurgency, armed response to civil unrest, counter terrorism, special weapons operations. |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Shillong, India |
| Minister responsible | Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister |
| Agency executive | Lt Gen H J S Sachdev PVSM, AVSM, SM , Director General, Assam Rifles |
| Parent agency | Paramilitary forces of India, Indian Army |
| Website | |
| assamrifles |
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The Assam Rifles is the oldest paramilitary force of India. The unit can trace its lineage back to a paramilitary police force that was formed under the British in 1835 called Cachar Levy. Since then the Assam Rifles have undergone a number of name changes—the Assam Frontier Police (1883), the Assam Military Police (1891) and Eastern Bengal and Assam Military Police (1913), before finally becoming the Assam Rifles in 1917. Over the course of its history, the Assam Rifles and its predecessor units have served in a number of roles, conflicts and theatres including World War I where they served in Europe and the Middle East, and World War II where they served mainly in Burma. In the post World War II period the Assam Rifles has expanded greatly as has its role. There are currently 46 battalionsof Assam Rifles with a sanctioned strength of 66,411 personnel. It is under the control of the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and they perform many roles including the provision of internal security under the control of the army through the conduct of counter insurgency and border security operations, provision of aid to the civil power in times of emergency, and the provision of communications, 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 it has been guarding the Indo–Myanmar barrier as per the government policy "one border one force".
The present day Assam Rifles can trace its origins back to a paramilitary force known as Cachar Levy which was established by the British in 1835 in the Assam region. The Assam Rifles boast 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 [the] left 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 (later 1st battalion), Lakhimpur (2nd battalion) and Naga Hills (3rd battalion). A fourth battalion was later formed Imphal in 1915. The first non-British DG of Assam Rifles was Col. Sidhiman Rai, MC.
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