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Assam Rifles personnel during a parade |
Guwahati, Jan. 7: If 2004 was an eminently forgettable
year for the Assam Rifles, the paramilitary force is
poised to turn things around in the New Year by
aggressively promoting itself as a “friend of the hills
people”.
The force has roped in a non-government organisation —
the Institute of Environmental Management and Social Development — to assist it in its
image-building exercise.
An Assam Rifles officer said the exercise would involve
strategies to enhance the role of the force as a
“catalyst for holistic development of the region”.
The death of a woman named Thangjam Manorama in Assam
Rifles’ custody last year — she was allegedly raped
before being shot — was the trigger for the agitation
that continues in Manipur till this day.
The Assam Rifles was virtually forced to vacate Imphal’s
historical Kangla Fort in a hurry following the
upheaval.
The officer, however, insisted the paramilitary force
had always been a friend to the people of the Northeast.
“We are a part of the Northeast and have always been
actively involved in the development of the region. Now
we want to involve the people in our effort,” he said.
The Institute of Environmental Management and Social Development has organised a series
of workshops and interactive programmes for officers of
the Assam Rifles and villagers residing in the vicinity
of paramilitary bases.
Its executive director Ashish Chopra said the purpose of
the exercise was to make the officers of the country’s
oldest paramilitary force aware of their social
responsibilities and enlighten the villagers about the
organisation’s role in the development of the region.
The North Eastern Council, too, is assisting the
exercise.
“The Assam Rifles has done a lot of social work which,
to a large extent, has been unrecognised and
misunderstood. Most of the time these roles are taken
for granted. Therefore, the outlook needs to be
changed,” Chopra said.
The Institute of Environmental Management and Social Development recently organised a
seminar for officers and teachers of Assam Rifles-aided
schools in Shillong. |
