The Assam Rifles is often nicknamed “Sentinels of the North East” and “Friends of the Hill People”. It is the oldest paramilitary force in India, originally raised in 1835 as Cachar Levy, a militia to protect tea gardens and the fertile plains of Assam against unruly tribes. Its scope increased with the expansion of British Raj in Northeast India, and it was used against insurgencies in the region.
This specialist central paramilitary force responsible for border security, counter-insurgency, and maintaining law and order in Northeast India. Its primary duty involves guarding the Indo-Myanmar border.
By nurturing the next generation, the Assam Rifles aims to help transform the young individuals into a responsible citizens.
Today I am sharing a heart warming story with our readers.
WE CAN CO-EXIST
The old man tried to hide his tears but in vain as his daughter hugged him even more tightly. These were tears of elation and pride. He was proud of his daughter and even prouder of his own decision to send her to Ukhrul, against the advice of some of his relatives. They had cautioned him- “How will she manage on her own?”, “What if people come to know that she is from our community?”, “Times are not good” etc. He had argued – “Girls from all communities will be together there….”, “We have to move on” etc, but deep in his heart he was skeptical too. But his doubts soon vanished as his daughter started her studies and told him about the wonderful infrastructure and arrangements at Ukhrul. And today, his faith in God has got strengthened. He cannot wait to break the news to his doubting relatives and friends. Today he can see hope for common people like him and for Manipur.
His daughter was part of the Assam Rifles Centre of Educational Excellence (ARCEE), a collaborative initiative of Assam Rifles with a private bank as corporate partner and National Integrity and Educational Development Organization (NIEDO) as training partner. The initiative offers residential coaching to girl students of all communities of Manipur to prepare for the prestigious NEET Examination. The initiative covers all facets of preparation i.e. coaching, guidance, boarding, lodging, medical facilities, transportation, extracurricular activities etc in the serene environment of Ukhrul. It created history recently when 25 out of 36 girls of this center qualified for NEET, an impressive 70% success rate, which is a matter of pride for the students and organisers alike.
Apart from the amazing performance in the exam, what stands out is the fact that these girls have proved that communities can co-exist and together, strive for a peaceful and brighter future for all denizens of the state. They have given a hope to others that if we rise above community lines and just focus on future, everything will fall into right place. These girls stayed together, studied together, ate together and shared their stories with each other. They diligently focused on their goal of becoming a doctor and achieved it; a simple yet profound approach.
The spirit of these girls has ignited a new hope and their approach could be a beacon for the youth.
Assam Rifles remains dedicated to serving the people of North East and will continue to monitor the situation closely, providing assistance and support, living upto the motto of “Friends of the North East”.
