Myanmarese course for Assam Rifles

IMPHAL: In a bid to ensure effective deployment of Assam Rifles soldiers guarding the porous Indo-Myanmar border in Manipur's Chandel district by helping them bridge the language barrier, the AR personnel are being taught Myanmarese.

Manipur shares an around 350 km-long border with Myanmar though a 10-km fence along the border is currently being constructed by the Centre near Moreh town. The border town is a hub of commercial activities between the two neighbouring countries and sees transactions of about Rs 5 crore on a daily basis.

Owing to the porous border, large quantities of drugs, weapons and other illicit items from Southeast Asian countries are being smuggled into India through Myanmar, forcing the security forces, particularly the Assam Rifles to remain on a red alert while manning the border.

Assam Rifles also frequently seizes drugs and animal parts, including tiger bones and skins, meant to be smuggled out to these countries from the tribal-dominated Chandel district.

The AR personnel are being trained at a foreign language school (Myanmarese) that is run under the aegis of the headquarters of the inspector general of Assam Rifles (south) on the latter's office premises at Mantripukhi

On Monday, the first batch of 28 students passed out of the institution with flying colours, according to a statement issued by the Assam Rifles, the country's oldest paramilitary force.

It was a major achievement for the school, which was established on July 1 last year, the statement said, adding that the institution, besides training AR soldiers also trains troops from other central armed police forces.

"The language training would help security forces personnel deployed at the Indo-Myanmar border interact with Myanmarese authorities on various issues and also create bonhomie between the two parties," the statement said.

Of the total 28 students in the first batch, 24 are Assam Rifles personnel, two are from the BSF and one each is from the CRPF and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). The course duration is 72 weeks. During the graduation ceremony of the first batch, IGAR (South) Major UK Gurung gave away certificates to successful students at his office complex, added the statement.

Meanwhile, a troop of AR personnel caught a peddler with illegal drugs at Tengoupal area in the same district on Sunday, the statement said.

Discovering transportation of illegal drugs, personnel from 24 Assam Rifles launched an operation in the area and apprehended a drug peddler while he was going to Moreh from Imphal in a van. They recovered 5,980 Alprazolam tablets from him, it added.