AR to replace army, BSF to guard border areas in Manipur from next year
Major change in deployment of forces in line
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 04 2013:
In a dramatic change of deployment of Central forces in Manipur, the Assam Rifles is likely to replace the army and the whole border areas guarded by the Assam Rifles will be looked after by the BSF from next year.
There is likelihood of the BSF replacing the Assam Rifles in the entire border areas of Nagaland around the same time.
Currently the army's 57 Mountain Division or the Red Shield Division stationed at Leimakhong near Imphal is commanding troops deployed in half of Manipur's security bound areas.
Under the division, headed by a Major General, three brigades are operating in Tamenglong, Churachandpur and Bishnupur districts and each brigade has three to four battalions.
The army comes under the Defence Ministry while the Assam Rifles, the oldest paramilitary force in the country, and the BSF, are under the Home Ministry.
Despite the Ministry's specifications and nomenclatures, there is a mixture of the army and Assam Rifles battalions operating under the command of the army's brigade or the Assam Rifles' sector in the State.
The approximate number of army battalions currently deployed in Manipur is 15 .
The Assam Rifles whose battalions outnumber the army is operating in major portions of the State including the porous Indo-Myanmar boundary falling in the hill ranges of Chandel, Ukhrul and Churachandpur districts under the supervision of the force's Inspector General (South).
Manipur shares a 353 km boundary with Myanmar.
Earlier, the BSF guarded the border areas including Moreh before it was replaced by the Assam Rifles.
"Now the Assam Rifles guarding the border areas will be replaced by the BSF and the former will carry out its internal security from next year," a highly placed source in the Defence Ministry, said.
At the same time, the army will move out from Manipur and they will be replaced by the Assam Rifles and this being the case, the Assam Rifles will take the key responsibility in tackling the internal (inside Manipur) security scenario, while the BSF will guard the border areas, the source added.
26 new battalions of Assam Rifles and as many BSF battalions are being raised and most of them would come to Manipur for the proposed replacement.
"We are here (in Manipur) to provide a secured environment to facilitate smooth functioning of the State machineries and if the Government feels the army is not required then we will focus on our primary task (to face external aggression)," said Colonel SD Goswami, spokesman of the Ministry of Defence.
A source hinted that the Government had already given its nod to carry out the major security replacement task.