India and Myanmar have always had good relations from an ancient time after when Emperor Ashoka send two of its Buddhist monks to preach Theravada Buddhism in Burma during the 3rd century BCE and started the trades between the two nations. Myanmar is strategically very important for India’s Act East Policy (AEP) for its trades, connectivity to South East Asian countries and development of Northeast Indian states that shares border with Myanmar. India shares about 1,643 kilometers of land border with Myanmar. Four North-East Indian states such as Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram shares its international border with three states of Kachin, Sagaing and Chin of Myanmar. This land border has always had a serious concern for the India’s security perspectives because of the open border, trans-border ethnic linkage, geographically remote from the center political power and other illegal activities from across the border. Assam Rifles (AR) which is the oldest Paramilitary Force (PF) of India, raised by Britishers with just 750 men in 1835 as a “Cachar Levy” to safeguard of tea estate from the tribal raids. Presently, AR has a total of 46 Battalions with dual role of border guarding and counter insurgency headed by the rank of Lieutenant General from Indian Army on Probation with their Headquarter (HQ) in Laitkor, Shillong (Meghalaya). AR is the only force which has having its HQ outside Delhi. It is the only paramilitary force which having a dual structure of control. Operational control is with the Indian Army under Ministry of Defence (MoD) while administrative control by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). This paper examines the evolving role of the AR in border management along the Manipur-Myanmar border and different challenges faced by the AR after the 2021 Military Coup in Myanmar, along with particular focus on surveillance, information gathering, managing illegal migration, drug trafficking, arms smuggling, insurgents’ movements and coordination with the Army, state police, and civil administration.
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[1] Egreteau, Renaud. (2003). "Wooing the Generals; India's New Burma Policy", Author Press, New Delhi, p.7.
[1] Ingudam, Y., Lepcha, C.K., Lal, U.(2022). Part IV, Cross Border Interaction and Migration; Indo-Myanmar Border Fencing: A study of Chandel District in Manipur; Communities, Institutions and Histories of India’s Northeast. Routledge Taylor & Francis Group (New York) ISBN:9781032158389
[1] Bhatia, R. (2016). “India-Myanmar Relations: Changing Contour”. Replica Press Pvt Ltd. New Delhi.
[1] Kumar, A. (2019). “Challenges to Internal Security of India”. Mc Graw Hill Education (India) Private Limited. Chennai (TN).
[1] (N.A). (2002). “Guardians of the North East: The Assam Rifles (1835-2002)”. Pp. 11-12
[1] Ibid.
[1] Ibid.
[1] The Assam Rifles: Friends of the North East. www.assamrifles.gov.in
[1] Kumar, M. (2007). “Officer cadre to loosen army grip on Assam Rifles”. The Telegraph online.
[1] Singh, M. (n.d). “Indo-Myanmar Border Management”. The Assam Rifles: Friends of the North East. Pp. 63
[1] Singh, T.H. (2009). “Manipur Imbroglio: Insurgency, Ethnic Politics, Socio-cultural Dimensions”. Akansha Publication, New Delhi.
[1] Ibid. pp. 59.
[1]“ History of Valour & Excellence”. 14th Bn the Assam Rifles 1959-2006.
[1] B, Raman. “The role of Intelligence in counter insurgency operations”. IDSA
[1] Intelligence Bureau, Role of Intelligence in Internal Security Management, Government of India.
