ITBP on Myanmar border? Panel to decide

Guwahati: The ministry of home affairs has referred the proposal to replace the Assam Rifle with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) along the Myanmar border to the Cabinet Committee on Security headed by PM Narendra Modi for approval.

Disclosing that the committee would take a call on the proposal soon, security sources said that replacing the entire Assam Rifle force the border could have serious financial and security related implication hence the approval is essential.

The joint intelligence committee chief R.N. Ravi has submitted a report to the home ministry in which he has suggested that the Assam Rifles, which is currently posted along the Myanmar border, be replaced by the ITBP.

India and Myanmar share an unfenced border of 1,643 km adjoining Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Nagaland (215 km), Manipur (398 km) and Mizoram (510 km) and permit a “free movement” regime up to 16 km across the border.

Informing that the home ministry has accepted various other recommendations of the committee on streamlining the security in Northeast frontier, security sources said that steps have been taken to streamline the civilian movement between India and Myanmar.

Pointing out that process to identify the crossing points along Indo-Myanmar border has started, security sources that each crossing point will have computerised centres where records of all those crossing over through the border will be kept. The border crossing point will not only keep the photographic record of visitors but also follow their entry and exit in India, security sources said.

Informing that the home ministry has also agreed to sort out the dispute on operational and administrative control, security sources said that administrative control of the Assam Rifle has been with home ministry but forces operates under the operational command of the Army. The JIC, in his recommendation, has asked the home ministry to sort out this issue to improve the efficiency of the force.

The necessity of reassessing the security along the Indo-Myanmar border was realised when militants belonging to the National Socialist Council of Nagaland —  Khaplang (NSCN-K) killed 18 Army jawans in Chandel district of Manipur on June 2015.

The Manipur incident was a wake-up call for the government, which wanted to streamline the border management with Myanmar and China.