Enhancing combat ratio of Assam Rifles : A necessity for effective border guarding

L Ibotombi Singh
(For effective border guarding and management of Indo-Myanmar border, there is an immediate requirement of raising 30 more AR BG battalions along with Command elements, and three Assam Rifles Constriction (Engineer) battalions, one each for the three IGAR to facilitate speedy construction of border fencing and later, the same force can be made responsible for maintenance of fencing. Also, Assam Rifles should be conferred with powers under the Customs Act as done in the case of the BSF and other CPMFs)
A statement was made by the DG Assam Rifles, Lt Gen Vikas Lakhera, that deployment of 20 Assam Rifles Battalions along Indo-Myanmar border have facilitated biometric mapping of 42000 Myanmarese Nationals who have transi-ted through designated cro- ssing points since December 2024. The information was shared during a seminar at Manipur University on August 20th, 2025 where the border guarding battalions are manning 22 designated crossing points after revision of Free Movement Regime (FMR) in December 2023. As many as 22 out of 43 designated crossing points are functional, which include 10 in Manipur, five each in Mizoram and Nagaland, and two in Arunachal Pradesh along the India-Myanmar border. These gates regulate the movement of people living within a 10-km radius of the India-Myanmar border as per the revised FMR guidelines. Assam Rifles, in line with K Subrahmanyam Kargil Review Committee (KRC) report made after Kargil War 1999, has been entrusted with monitoring and regulating the movement of people from Myanmar as part of guarding Indo-Myanmar Border. The Force has been designated as the issuing authority for QR code-enabled border passes and conducts the first layer of security verification for individuals entering India from Myanmar. At the same time, State police in Arunachal Pradesh, Naga-land, Mizoram, and Manipur will conduct security checks at the place of stay of Myanmar residents. The border pass will be valid for up to seven days. The remaining 21 border checkpoints along the 1,643-km India-Myanmar border are expected to become functional in the second phase.
Due to increase in insurgency-related incidents in all the North East States particularly in Manipur (137 incidents) alongwith spurt in smuggling of narcotics, movement of illegal arms, warlike stores and the insurgents, in their annual report of 2022-23, the MHA decided to fence the entire 1643 kilometres long India-Myanmar border. Further, the Union Home Minister, Shri Amit Shah, also decided to scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) of the people on the borders between the two countries, a legacy of colonial power, so as to secure the country's borders and maintain the demographic structure of the North Eastern States that share boundary with Myanmar. Accordingly, responsibility for fencing was given to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), and started in the right earnest. Notwithstanding the above, there has been protests from Naga, Chin, Zo-Kuki and other communities from all the four States sharing border to revoke the decisions. Example being the recently held talk between Mani-pur’s major Naga organi- sations (United Naga Council, Naga Women’s Union, and All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur) and Central Government officials, in New Delhi on border fencing and FMR remaining inconclusive. The arguments by these communities opposing the fencing and FMR is hollow as movement of kith’s and kins of Nagas and Zo-Kukis, if necessary, can be regulated properly after fencing through suitable crossing points, as per the existing arrangements. Apparently, those who have voiced against fencing have their hidden agendas as they are directly or indirectly benefitting in drug trafficking, illegal immigrations, smuggling of arms, ammunition and other warlike stores and other illegal trades. The Kukis have no such reasons, but the fact that the illegal immigration of Kukis and Zos (Chins) from across Myanmar would come to a halt sooner or later and would see the dwindling down of the poppy plantations in Manipur, which garner thousands of crores per year as revenue for their private ends.
Challenges for Fencing and Guarding the Border
No fencing is impregnable unless the area is guarded with adequate forces and monitored regularly by physical patrolling. Though, ongoing Smart Fencing System includes a combination of physical barriers, sensors, cameras, and communication systems, allowing for effective monitoring and response to border threats, it is men behind the fencing which will make it effective. History is replete with many examples like heavily guarded and fortified ‘Great Wall of China’ ‘Berlin Wall,’ and ‘Korean Demilitarized Zone’ were or has been breached many times. Twenty battalions of Assam Rifles dedicated for guarding the Indo-Myanmar border, as shared by the DG Assam Rifles, is grossly inadequate. Equally of concern and worry is the slow pace of fencing being executed by the BRO. As of date, as per report, only 40 kilometres or so, of Mani-pur’s 394 km long shared border with Myan-mar have been fenced, thus impetus is needed for speedy execution of border fencing.
Some challenges anticipated and suggested recommendations are
(a) Enhancing Combat Ratio of Assam Rifles : Beginning 2001, in line with recommendations for one force one border made after 1999 Kargil War, different border guarding forces were deployed in different borders. Accordingly, the Assam Rifles (AR), besides role in counter insurgency (CI) operations, was assigned additional responsibility for guarding the 1643 long Indo-Myanmar border. During this time, AR had mere 31 battalions deployed in all the eight North East States for CI role including two battalions in North Sikkim guarding Indo-China Border. While I was in service on staff with GS Branch, Assam Rifles, a proposal was initiated for expansion of AR Forces- raising of Border Guarding (BG) battalions. However, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) accorded sanction for 15 BG battalions only with a rider that no accretion of manpower and no additional financial expenditure for such expansion, except for Command elements. Accor- dingly, by rationalising the manpower from existing battalions, then peace establishment for each 31 AR battalions were different, 15 AR BG battalions were raised over a period of five years starting from the year 2001. Along with the new raisings, command elements of additional two Inspectorate General Assam Rifles (IGAR), five Range Headquarters, supporting elements (Main- tenance Groups) and expansion of Assam Rifles Directorate Headquarters were accorded sanction by the MHA. The existing 31 AR units were made as CI battalions. The BG units were authorised with limited medium range area weapons and long-range crew served weapons. These 15 BG Battalions were grossly inadequate for guarding the 1643 long Indo-Myanmar border, which roughly works out 110 km frontage per battalion, without ground and other tactical considerations. Post implementations of ‘One Force One Border,’  49 new battalions of BSF (presently having 193 battalions and 16 more in the pipeline), 37 of the SSB, and 17 of ITBP were raised, with adoption of seven companies’ concept for all Central police organisations including Central Reserve Police Forces. However, in the last 25 years there has been no additional raising of AR Forces whereas responsibilities have been enhanced as the forces are committed in dual role viz. CI operations (being dynamic in nature) as well as BG duties. Thus, there is an immediate requirement of raising 30 more AR BG battalions along with Command elements, which will work out to 37 km frontage per AR BG battalion. The MHA must take a serious note of this short fall and raise it on a war footing. Equally is importance of creating permanent infrastructure for the border guarding battalions along the Indo-Myanmar border as is being adopted by China all along the Line of Actual Control.
(b) Time bound speedy Border Fencing :  Border fencing in Punjab along the International Border (IB) was carried out by Central Public Works Department (CPWD), likewise in Assam it was executed by National Projects Construction Corporation Limited (NPCC), National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) and CPWD; and in Jammu and Kashmir it was executed by CPWD along the IB and along the Line of Control (LC) it was done by the combat engineers. However, the responsibility for Indo-Myanmar border fencing has been given to BRO, whose primary role is to develop and maintain road networks and other critical infrastructure in challenging border terrains and remote areas of India. As their hands are full due to requirement of developing new roads including road/operational tracks to the newly designated border out posts (BOPs) along Indo-Myanmar Border and maintenance of existing roads including NH-2 and NH-37, the required impetus for speedy construction of fencing is lacking. Therefore, it is suggested that the responsibility for erecting Indo-Myanmar fencing be assigned to the Combat Engineers of the Indian Army, preferably to Dimapur based 3 Corps. Simultaneously, there is a necessity of raising, on priority, three Assam Rifles Construction (Engineer) battalions, one each for the three IGAR. Once raised, these can facilitate speedy construction of fencing and later, the same force can be made responsible for maintenance of the Indo-Myanmar fencing.
(c) Conferring Power of Customs, BNSS and BSA to Assam Rifles : As per KRC report the main task for interception, including that for drugs and contraband, has to be taken up by the forces/agencies present on the borders, such as the BSF, ITBP, Assam  Rifles, Customs, Coast Guard and local police. The executive agencies stationed along the border should be appropriately mandated and motivated, with priorities for each stretch of the border laid-down from time to time.  The proposal would have major financial implications and MHA was required to work out the details and come up with specific proposal for improving the effectiveness of these forces. Whenever a border is placed under the charge of the Army, directly under it or through Border Guarding Forces placed under its operational control, it would be the responsibility of the Army to perform these and allied duties. Accordingly, the MHA in consultation with the Ministry of Finance and the MoD, implemented the proposal subsequently in phases. Therefore, for effective guarding and management duties of the Indo-Myanmar Border, the Assam Rifles should be conferred with powers under the Customs Act and Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (earlier CrPC 1973) and the Bharatiya Sakshaya Adhini-yam (earlier IEA 1872), as done in the case of the BSF and other Central Police Organisation Forces.

The writer is a retired Brigadier