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The Assam Rifles falls under the Ministry of Home Affairs but operates under the operational control of the Indian Army. The force consists of Indian Army officers and is headed by a Lieutenant General as the Director General. Representative pictures/X
Lieutenant General Vikas Lakhera on Wednesday took over as the 22nd Commander-in-Chief, Assam Rifles
In a rare move, nearly 1,500 Assam Rifles soldiers will be evacuated from the force's core area and deployed in terror-hit Jammu. This will be the first deployment of the force, known as “Friends of the Northeast” in Jammu and a small base may be set up in J&K soon, an official said.
The Assam Rifles falls under the Ministry of Home Affairs but operates under the operational control of the Indian Army. The force consists of Indian Army officers and is headed by a Lieutenant General as the Director General.
This will be the first time that two units, Rashtriya Rifles and Assam Rifles, under the control of the Indian Army, will be deployed in Jammu. Troops will be drawn from Manipur and the Central Reserve Police Force will take over the operational areas of the Assam Rifles. Two battalions will be deployed in Churachandpur, replacing the Assam Rifles.
Although Kuki groups opposed the development, the government has decided to go ahead with the deployment changes. Meitei groups, on the other hand, claim that the Assam Rifles are biased towards the Kukis and should withdraw from parts of Manipur.
Lieutenant General Vikas Rahela on Wednesday took over as the 22nd Commander-in-Chief of the Assam Rifles, nicknamed the “Northeast Sentinel”. He has extensive professional experience with the Assam Rifles and the North-East region, where he has served extensively, including as Inspector General, Assam Rifles, Nagaland.
The Assam Rifles are still deployed in some of the most remote and underdeveloped areas, providing security to the locals. “The Assam Rifles has grown significantly over the years, from 17 battalions in 1960 to 46 at present. The force also has a training center and multiple logistics units. Through long-term deployment in tribal areas, the Assam Rifles The SAM Rifles have won the complete trust of the locals and have made significant contributions in mainstreaming the people of the area into the national mainstream,” the force said.
