The Assam Rifles (AR) is a paramilitary force of India responsible for

border security Border control comprises 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 als ...

counter-insurgency Counterinsurgency (COIN, or NATO spelling counter-insurgency) 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 ac ...

, and maintaining law and order in

Northeast India Northeast India, officially the North Eastern Region (NER), is the easternmost region of India representing both a geographic and political Administrative divisions of India, administrative division of the country. It comprises eight States and ...

and in Jammu & Kashmir in lines of

Rashtriya Rifles The Rashtriya Rifles (RR; ) is a counter-insurgency force in India, formed in 1990, to deal with internal security in the Jammu and Kashmir (region), Jammu and Kashmir region. They maintain public order by drawing powers from the Armed Forces ...

. Its primary duty involves guarding the Indo-Myanmar border. The AR is one of the Oldest Central Para-military Forces of India administered by the

Ministry of Home Affairs An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement. In some states, the i ...

while operational control rests with Indian Army. As a central paramilitary force, its recruitment, perks, promotions, and retirement policies are governed by Assam Rifles Regulations. Approximately 80 percent of the officers are deputed from the Army, while the remaining are drawn from the AR cadre. The AR is commanded by the Director General of the Assam Rifles (DG AR), appointed by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The AR is often nicknamed "Sentinels of the 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 a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

to protect tea gardens and the fertile plains of

Assam Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...

against unruly

tribes The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...

. Its scope increased with the expansion of

British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

, and it was used against insurgencies in the region. The force was redesignated 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 after the

Sino-Indian War The Sino–Indian War, also known as the China–India War or the Indo–China War, was an armed conflict between China and India that took place from October to November 1962. It was a military escalation of the Sino–Indian border dispu ...

of 1962. It came under the administration of Ministry of Home Affairs in 1965, with the Army retaining operational control. Throughout its history, the Assam Rifles have served in various conflicts and theaters, including

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

by serving in Europe and the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

, and

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, where they served mainly in

Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...

. After the Chinese annexation of Tibet, the AR were tasked with manning Assam's section of the Tibetan border. They were also instrumental in maintaining law and order in

Arunachal Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in northeast India. It was formed from the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region, and India declared it as a state on 20 February 1987. Itanagar is its capital and la ...

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

counterinsurgency Counterinsurgency (COIN, or NATO spelling counter-insurgency) 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 ac ...

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

communications Communication is commonly defined as the transmission of information. Its precise definition is disputed and there are disagreements about whether Intention, unintentional or failed transmissions are included and whether communication not onl ...

, 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 had 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. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

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

Imphal Imphal (; , ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Manipur. The metropolitan centre of the city contains the ruins of Kangla Palace (officially known as Kangla Fort), the royal seat of the former Kingdom of Manipur, surrounded by a ...

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 The pa ...

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 (; , ISO 15919, ISO: ''Paṭanā''), historically known as Pataliputra, Pāṭaliputra, is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. According to the United Nations, ...

, 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 Indian Army was the force of British Raj, British India, until Indian Independence Act 1947, national independence in 1947. Formed in 1895 by uniting the three Presidency armies, it was responsible for the defence of both British India and ...

, 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 Madras Province, officially called the Presidency of Fort St. George until 1937, was an administrative subdivision (province) of British India and later the Dominion of India. At its greatest extent, the presidency i ...

, 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 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 The Burma campaign was a series of battles fought in the British colony of British rule in Burma, Burma as part of the South-East Asian theatre of World War II. It primarily involved forces of the Allies of World War II, Allies (mainly from ...

. Other elements fought in the defensive "boxes" around

Kohima Kohima (; Tenyidie: Kewhira ()) is the capital of the North East Indian state of Nagaland. With a resident population of almost 100,000, it is the second largest city in the state. Kohima constitutes both a district and a municipality. The m ...

, whilst another, from the 4th Battalion, trained as airborne troops, was dropped near the Sittang River behind Japanese lines. The 1st Battalion, as part of Lushai Brigade was sent ahead of the rest of the force to provide resistance in the Chin Hills. 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 until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...

es, 4 Orders of British India, one

, 13

Military Medal The Military Medal (MM) was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other arms of the British Armed Forces, armed forces, and to personnel of other Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries, below commissioned o ...

s, 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 of Nations, Commonwealth award for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Monarchy of the United Ki ...

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

Indian Army The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and 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 ...

. 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 military rank 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 the battlefield, who was norma ...

ranking officer in the Indian Army. The present Director General of the Assam Rifles is Vikas Lakhera . 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 46 with several range HQs. 3 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 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 Indian state, state in northeastern India. It is the headquarters of the East Khasi Hills district. Shillong is the list of most populous cities in India, 330th most populous city ...

, 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 Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank 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 the battlefield, who was norma ...

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

, unlike other

Central Armed Police Forces The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) consist of seven armed police organizations under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India, tasked with maintaining internal security, law and order, counterinsurgency, and protecting borde ...

which are located at

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

. 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 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 (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...

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 –

, Nagaland ** Sector 5 – Poonch, Jammu And Kashmir ** Sector 6 –

Dimapur Dimapur () is the largest city and municipality in the Indian state of Nagaland. As of 2024 , the municipality had a population of 172,000. The city is the main gateway and commercial centre of Nagaland. Located near the border with Assam along ...

, Nagaland ** Sector 7 –

Tuensang Tuensang () is a town located in the northeastern part of the Indian state of Nagaland. It is the headquarters of the Tuensang District and has a population of 36,774. The town was founded in 1947 for the purpose of administrating the erstwhile ...

, Nagaland ** Sector 25 – Lekhapani, Assam * Assam Rifles South –

, Manipur ** Sector 9 –

Manipur Manipur () is a state in northeastern India with Imphal as its capital. It borders the Indian states of Assam to the west, Mizoram to the south, and Nagaland to the north and shares the international border with Myanmar, specifically t ...

** Sector 10 –

Ukhrul Ukhrul District( Tangkhul pronunciation:/ˈuːkˌɹəl or ˈuːkˌɹʊl/ is one of the hilly disctrict in the state of Manipur, India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries an ...

South, Manipur ** Sector 26 – Thoubal, Manipur ** Sector 27 – Churchandrapur, Manipur ** Sector 28 –

Kakching Kakching ( Meitei pronunciation:/kək.ciŋ/) is a town in the southeastern part of the Indian state of Manipur. It serves as the headquarters of Kakching district and is a major commercial hub in the state. In 2018, Kakching was declared as the ...

, Manipur * Assam Rifles East –

Silchar Silchar is a city and the headquarters of the Cachar district of the state of Assam, India. It is second largest city of Assam after Guwahati in terms of population and GDP. It is also administrative capital of Barak Valley division. It is locate ...

, Assam ** Sector 21 –

Agartala Agartala (, , ) is the capital and the List of cities and towns in Tripura, largest city of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tripura, situated on the banks of Haora River, Haora/Saidra River, about east of the border ...

, Tripura ** Sector 22 – Haflong, Assam ** Sector 23 –

Aizawl Aizawl (, American English, US: , British English, UK: ; Mizo language, Mizo: ), formerly known as Aijal, is the capital city and the most populous city of Mizoram, India. It is also the third largest city in northeast India. It is situated ato ...

, Mizoram * Assam Rifles Training Centre & School –

, Nagaland

Battalions

* 1 Manipur (1 Assam Rifles) IGAR North * 2 J&k (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 Kishtwar Battalion(7 Assam Rifles)jammu and Kashmir * 8 Chassad Battalion (8 Assam Rifles): * 9 Jaluki Nagaland (9 Assam Rifles) * 10 Noney Battalion (10 Assam Rifles) * 11 Haflong Battalion (11 Assam Rifles) (Double First) IGAR East * 12 Joypur Battalion (12 Assam Rifles) * 13 Kohima (13 Assam Rifles) IGAR South * 14 Samatur Nagaland (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 Ghaspani Battalion (22 Assam Rifles) (Bais Bahadur) Nagaland * 23 Mokokchung Battalion (23 Assam Rifles) IGAR North * 24 Shangshak Battalion (24 Assam Rifles) * 25 Thalela J&K (25 Assam Rifles) * 26 Paribal Tekri Battalion (26 Assam Rifles) (Ujjawal Chhabbees), Jammu & Kashmir * 27 Thoubal Battalion (27 Assam Rifles) (Magnificiant Hornbills) * 28 Shoor Veer Battalion (28 Assam Rifles) IGAR North * 29 Uttam Untees 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), Jammu & Kashmir * 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 Serchhip Battalions (42 Assam Rifles) Mizoram * 43 Moreh Battalion (43 Assam Rifles) IGAR South * 44 Tamenglong Battalion (44 Assam Rifles) IGAR East * 45 Chiswama Kohima(45 Assam Rifles) * 46 Khuga Battalion (46 Assam Rifles) NDRF Battalion * 13 Bn NDRF, Samba, Jammu & Kashmir

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 maintains an 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

of the

. The position is currently held by

Lt Gen Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank 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 the battlefield, who was normall ...

Vikas Lakhera.

Rank structure

;Officers ;Enlisted ranks

Historic rank structure

;Enlisted ranks

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * 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 Central Armed Police Forces of India Border guarding forces of India 1835 establishments in British India Military units and formations established in 1835 Paramilitary forces of India British Indian Army infantry regiments Non-military counterinsurgency organizations Indian World War I regiments Indian World War II regiments Assam