ITANAGAR, 24 Dec: The Assam Rifles (AR) has a long and chequered history of its presence in the Northeast region since 1835. The force has always been in the forefront on matters pertaining to ensuring peace and development in the Northeast.
In order to stay abreast with the dynamic happenings in the region, the force always has a method of developing strategies to meet any challenges of the future.
To add academic content to happenings in the Northeast, the force has established ties with various think tanks through seminars, panel discussions and guest lectures.
The AR is thus reinvigorating interest in this region by utilising the reach of various national think tanks.
As part of this outreach, it has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United Services Institution (USI) of India.
As part of the MoU, brainstorming seminars and lectures are held annually. In the series of these lectures, the third edition of the Assam Rifles-USI guest lecture was held at USI, New Delhi, on 23 December.
The lecture has been named the ‘Bob Khathing memorial lecture’, keeping the monumental role played by late Major Bob Khathing for the people of the Northeast region. The lecture was attended by over 100 officers and was livestreamed to 172 outstations.
Major Bob Khathing was a legendary figure from the Northeast. During World War II, he served with the famous V Force, and for his gallantry was awarded the Military Cross and Member of the British Empire (MBE).
Apart from his committed service in Assam during the great earthquake of 1950, he played key roles in the transitional period in Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Sikkim.
Major Khathing’s name has special relevance to Arunachal. He served as the assistant political officer in erstwhile NEFA. He was also the first officer to successfully unfurl the Indian tricolour in Tawang in 1951.
Owing to his immense contribution to the Northeast region, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the first president of India Dr Rajendra Prasad in 1957.
This year’s guest talk was based on the theme ‘Leveraging Northeast region for enhancing peace and stability and furthering India’s Act East Policy’, which also formed part of the government of India’s initiative in the Northeast to make it a self-sustained global economic hub of India.
The talk was delivered by the Eastern Command’s GOC-in-Chief Lt Gen Rana Pratap Kalita, who highlighted the relevant aspects related to conflict resolution and leveraging economic potential as key factors to ensure stability in the Northeast.
“This was needed for the furtherance of the government of India’s ‘Act East’ policy,” he said, and emphasised on the relevance of the 4 Cs – culture, commerce, connectivity and capacity-building – as the important pillars of the ‘Act East’ policy.
Earlier, Assam Rifles Director General Lt Gen PC Nair dwelt on the geo-strategic importance of the Northeast and assured the audience of “the everlasting commitment of the Assam Rifles towards the people of the Northeast region” during his introductory remarks.
The audience comprised eminent personalities from various policymaking bodies and think tanks, besides officers from the Indian Army, representatives of various CAPFs, a representative from the Narcotics Control Bureau, and several important stakeholders of the Northeast.
