The connivance of the state and Union government in letting the violence spiral out of control and not adequately utilising the available instruments of the central government, especially the Army and the Assam Rifles, seems deliberate, irresponsible and extremely dangerous in terms of national security.
The Assam Rifles is a central paramilitary force responsible for border guarding and internal security in Northeast India. Also utilised as a combat force in times of conflict, it has been administered by the Ministry of Home Affairs since 1965 but is under the operational control of the Indian Army since the 1962 India-China war. The Assam Rifles’ rank and file is recruited by the MHA, but it is led by Army officers on deputation. India’s oldest paramilitary force, it was originally raised in 1835 as Cachar Levy, has had several designations and got its present name in 1917….
Throughout history, the relationship of the Meitei, Kuki-Zo, Naga and Mizo communities with the Army and Assam Rifles has oscillated between the good, the bad and the ugly. These fluctuations have been influenced by varying contexts determining the weakening/strengthening of governmental efforts to control violence in the region.
The ongoing violence that erupted on 3 May following the Manipur High Court’s ruling regarding granting tribal status to the Meitei community has witnessed the resurfacing of old antipathies fundamentally rooted in dominant narratives. While the Kuki-Zo people trust the Army/Assam Rifles personnel, the Meiteis deem them biased. Thus, in the context of these clashes, it appears that the Assam Rifles is being intentionally vilified, and that too under the patronage of Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh. A recent incident illustrates this….
Damaging Charge Against CM Biren Singh: Protecting Drug Lords
After the truth-shower 