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| North - East Watch |
| Recruitment in the Army from North Eastern Region - Traditional Classes |
General
I . The strategic North Eastern Region is unique in many ways.
Firstly, its geographical location, its stuck far into the North Eastern corner of india with a narrow passage connecting with mainland india, via the "Siliguri corridor", thereby snaking communication and approach difficult. Secondly, it sits as a candle on an important strategic cross roads between China in the North, Myanmar (Burma) in the East and Bangladesh in the South and West. Thirdly, it consists of seven widely different ethnic States namely Assam,
Meghalaya. Tripura, Mizoraln, Nagaland, Manipur and
Arunachal Pradesh with each having separate language's cultures, traditions and customs. And lastly, it is a very sensitive and volatile area because of its multiplicity of ethnic communities, an area of 2.55 lakh sq kms with more than l 92 languages and dialects. A major problem in the area is the perception that the region is underdeveloped and a trouble zone with ethnic violence and insurgency arising out of ignorance and mistrust.
* Maj Gen Shiv Dayal Yadava was born on 3 March, l 927 at Sadat Nagar, a small village near Kosli in Haryana. He underwent his early education at King Georges School. Aimer. His father Captain Puran Singh, SB, OBI being from the Army. he also joined the Army in l 947 and rose to the rank of Major General. A keen sportsman in his early years, he now devotes his time to research on the Yadavas of India. He is the author of a book titled: followers of Krishna: Yadavas of lndia'.
2. The region consists of many tribes and sub-tribes each of whom are fiercely independent and proud of their heritage and needs very careful handling to harness their qualities for the service of the country. It was realization of this fact that in June l 940, the then Chief Minister of Assam, M ohalnmad Sad u l lah proposed raise ng of an A ssam Regiment which was accepted and the regiment was raised on 1 5 June 1 94 1 . The initial recruitment of the Assam Regiment was based on the drafts from the Assam Rifles who recruited their soldiers from among the tribes such as Gorkhas, Kacharis Kukis Lushais, Nagas and men from many older Assamese tribes. Subsequently, recruitment to the Assam Regiment continued from the salve major tribes till early 1970s. It was only in 1970s that the Army HQ in New Delhi decided that the class composition in the Assam Regiment should be standardized on formal basis in order to give each tribes a fair representation in the regiment.
3. In l 973 therefore the class composition of the Assam Regiment was approved and issued as a policy document vide Army HQ letter No 64 l 1 2/Orgl (Pers) (b) dated 05 June 1973 which is as follows:-
(a) Assamese including Kacharis - 1 5%
(b) Mizos/Lushais - 20%:)
(c) Nagas/kukis - 35%
(d) All other classes tribes/sub tribes in Assam Meghalaya Manipur, Mizoram Nagaland Tripura including domiciled Gorkhas in NE States, Garos and Khasis - 2 5%
(e) Tribes/sub-tribes from Arunachal Pradesh - 5%
Bhutan including Mishmis and Bhutanese.
4. The above mentioned class composition for the Assam Regiment contained some major flaws in it. It gives unwarranted preference to those dominant tribes such as Lushais and Kukis which' were favoured by the British before l 947 and far in excess of their known number at the cost of some lesser known tribes. After independence in 1947 and in the altered political scenario, due consideration should have been given to the principle of equal opportunity and representation to all tribes big and small for recruitment in the army. The aim of recruitment is to ensure a steady' flow' of the best possible recruits to the army and other forces i n accordance with their requirements, both during peace and war. The policy is to broad-base the intake of young recruits in order to offer equal job opportunity to all irrespective of their classes communities religions and areas of- residences. In the past, their were some hassles due to inaccessible and inhospitable areas in the NE Region which remained untapped or, at least, the recruitment has not been evenly distritbuted which resulted in certain tribes and sub-tribes being denied equal opportunity of representation in the army.
Aim
5. The aim of this article is therefore to recommend rationalization of the existing radio of recruitment of classes tribes in the Assaln Regiment.
Proposal
6. The allocation of percentages to various classes. tribes and sub-tribes in the Army Headquarters letter of 05 June 1973 is erroneous in many respects. It classifies tribes in general tends such as 'Naga' and 'Mizo' which are no specific tribes by themselves and therefore cause confusion. Also quite a few prominent tribes have been left out from consideration and thus find no representation in the Assam Regiment. It has restarted in too much emphasis to certain tribes at the cost of those who find no mention in the Army Headquarters letter. It is, therefore intended to propose a re-classification of groups of tribes/sub-tribes in the NE Region with justifiable percentage of represented ion commensurate with their population in the enlistment in the Assam Regiment. The revised groups now proposed are given in succeeding paragraphs.
7. Assamese including Kachari Groups. This group should be renamed as 'Assamese including Kacharis and Bodo Group' with a revised percentage of 20 percent instead of I 5 percent.
8. Mizo/Lushai. This group title is incorrect as there is no tribe called Mizo tribe. Mizoram has six major tribes eg: Lushai Hamar and Reang in Northern Mizoram and Pawi Lakher and Chakma in southern Mizoram. Al1 these tribes must form part of one group and called 'Mizoram' l'ribal Group. with a percentage of 25 percent instead of the 20%
9. Naga/Kukis. Once again this group title is erroneous as there is no tribe called Naga tribe. Nagaland has a number of tribes such as Angami. Ao. Chang. lmchunga Kabui, ' Zemi, Lotha. Mao, Rengma, Sangtam, Tangkhul and Kuki.They must form a combined group called the Nagaland Tribal Group', with a percentage of 30% instead of the existing 35%.
l0. Garo Group of Tribes. This group of tribes./sub-tribes is not specified in the Army HQ letter of 05 June l 973 but it is a substantial group of tribes/sub-tribes from Meghalaya State such as Khasi Jaintia Garo including Sangma, Marak and Momim and the large domiciled Gorilla. They deserve the startle of a separate group named 'Garo Group of Tribes' with a percentage of 1 0 percent as opposed to nil at present.
11 . AII other classes, tribes/sub-tribes not included in the major group of tribes mentioned above. There are a number of smaller tribes/sub-tribes in various states such as Manipur, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh Bhutan and domiciled Gorkhas. Some of these prominent tribes are Mishmis. Bhutanese, Manipuries, Paites Tripuries and
domiciled Gorkhas. This group should conn an ad-hoc group named 'All Other Classes Tribes and sub-tribes group' with a percentage of 25%.
JUSTIFICATION
Assamese including Kacharis
12. The Assamese and Kacharis have in the past. provided quality soldier material for the Assam Regiment but time has come to explore the possibility of discovering other tribes not hitherto extended this facility. One such tribe is Bodos from Bodoland. This tribes' name does not figure in the Army HQ letter of 05 June 1 973 and it is presumed that no Bodos are enlisted in the Army as a result of this lapse. It is true that they were involved in insurgency in the ' past few years for which one of the main reasons was lack of employment opportunities. The Bodos have now settled down to a peaceful life after being granted an autonomous status for Bodoland by the Central Government. The Bodos are good soldier material and will prove themselves as excellent soldiers, if given their due share in the Assam Regiment. Their exclusion from the policy letter from Army HQ was, therefore, not justified. This group should now be named as 'Assamese including Kacharis and Bodos' with a share of 25 percent in the Assam Regiment.
Mizo/Lushai
13. Mizoram has six main tribes ie. Lushais, Hamar, Reang, Pawi. Lakher and the Chakmas as has been stated earlier.
Apart from the fact that all these tribes belong to the same state a separate and exclusive percentage of recruitment of 20 per cent has been allotted to the Lushais. The remaining tribes/sub-tribes are grouped with 'All other classes, tribes/ sub-tribe of the NE Region' for whom 25 per cent vacancies have been allotted. This is unjustifiable because, eventually when it comes to the actual recruitment, it will remain restricted to the main group tribe eg Mizo/Lushai, in other words Lushai only. (In fact, Mizo itself is no separate tribe', Mizo means "Hill people" it only denotes a geographical area within which a certain group of ethnic tribes reside). The other tribes mentioned in 'All other classes, tribes sub-tribes in the NE Rcgion' will receive scant attention if as all This is why, at present, in the Assam Regiment there may be an odd Hamar but, there are unlikely to be any Reangs, Pawis and Lakhers. As far as Chakmas are concerned, they do not even figure in any list at all that is why there are almost no Chakmas in the Assam Regiment. This is a grave injustice to a people who are an excellent soldier material. A Chakma is a tall. fair and a handsome individual with fine physique. He is a fearless fighter and it was because of these qualities that during insurgency in Mizoram the Chakmas. by and large. kept the Lushai insurgents at bay in the Western and SW Mizoram. The Chakma must therefore be given their due share i in the recruitment in the Assam Regiment.
14. In addition Mizoram's recruitable male population. as per 1 97 1 census was 20.057. It has generally been seen that there is i nvariably a shortfall in the recuitment from Mizoram state. This was. evidently due to the effects otinsurgency during late 1960s and 1970s and later due to large number of development schemes launched in the state particularly in the Nonh where there is reluctance on the part of the main and the largest tribes ie. Lushai to join the army. Southem Mizoram has remained relatively backward due to poor communications and hence Pawi Lakhers and Chaklna tribes/sub-tribes who hail from this area are not getting the same opportunity for recruitment as the Lushai tribe of the state.
1 5. Similarly, the Hmars and Reangs hai form NE and N W Mizoram respectively which also has poor communications and the area has made very little progress. These tribes in spite of being part of the same state are not being recruited along with the Lushai tribe of Mizoram but being recruited in the 25 per cent vacancies allotted to "All other Classes, tribes/sub-tribes of the N E Region". This gives them hardly any representation at all. In fact their numbers are negligible in the Assam Regiment. This is discriminatory for, there seems to be no justifiable reason for the tribes other than Lushais not being listed under the main head 'MIZO' Also it has been seen freon experience that the percentage allotted to the Lushais is unrealistic and their vacancies invariably remain under subscribed. It is therefore. recommended that Hmar. Reang, Pawi. Lakher and Chakma be also recruited from the enhanced quota of 25% which was previously fixed for the Lushai tribe alone of Mizoram at 20 per cent.
16. In making the above recommendations all the relevant facts have been kept in view, that while the development schemes launched in Northern Mizoram (Lushai areas), the people began to prefer to get jobs within the state and hence tile shortfall in recruitment. there are hardly any such development schemes in the Southern Western. NE and NW Mizoram, thus there would be a greater incentive for recuitment in the army from these areas. Also, there is no doubt that the existing recruitment policy is biased in favour of the Lushais at the cost of other Mizo tribes. This imbalance should be corrected and proper representation given to the non - Lushai a i tribes of the Mizoram. Communications in general, have improved in the NE Region and therefore to approach the Southern and western tribes in Mizoram for recruitment should pose no insurmountable difficulties. It is known fact that the Hmars Reangs, Pawi, Lakher and Chakma tribesmen are hardy and have good physique. lf given opportunity, they will provide good material for recruitment in the army. It may also be noted that while Chakma share their state borders with Bangladesh in the West. the Pawis and Lakhers do with Burma borders in the East and South. Their recruitment will enhance the security situation in their respective border areas. Therefore, it is once again emphasized that all tribes of Mizoram be grouped under one head and their vacancies be enhanced to 25% from the existing 20 per cent, which was allotted to only one tribe ie: Lushai.
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