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| North - East Watch |
| Recruitment in the Army from North Eastern Region - Traditional Classes |
Nagas/Kukis
17. The title of the groups is inadequate and does not seem to encompass a host of tribes/sub-tribes that constitute this group. It gives a false impression that Nagas and Kukis are the main tribe and the others, as mentioned in Para 9 above being minor sub-tribes. This in fact is not so. AIl these tribes mentioned in Para 9 above are important and distinctive tribes in their own respective areas. 'Nags' incidentally is no separate tribe as already stated. The word 'Naga' is a geographical/ethnic term meaning that the tribes living within a specified geographical area are called Naga tribes. It also identifies those tribes as a separate ethnic group, just as in the case of the Mizos. It would therefore, be more appropriate to call it 'Nagtilu/kuki' group of tribes.
18 . As per the existing policy, 35 percent of the vacancies for the Assam Regiment have been allotted to the Nagas and Kukis and their other tribes,'sub-tribes. These tribe/sub-tribe primarily hail from Nagaland and Manipur and only a small percentage of them come from Eastern part of Assam State bordering N agaland and Manipur. Naga land is a comparatively small state having an area of 1 6.527 sq. kms and a retractable male population of 27,808 ( 1 97 1 census). It has been observed that there has always been a shortfall in the recruitment frown this area. The main reason for the shortfall i n recruitment appears to be the overal l development of the state in recent years whereby locals prefer to get employment nearer their homes rather than to join the army.
19. Manipur state covers an area 22 356 sq kms and has a retractable male population of 63 600. The recruitment from this state has always been encouraging and most of the vacancies of Nagas and Kukis for the Assam and Kumaon (Nags) Regiments are filled up from this state. The reduction in the existing percentage from 35 percent to 30 percent in respect of Nagas and Kukis is recommended for the following reasons :
(a) The total area and reclaimable male population of both the states of Nagaland and Manipur put together is 38,883 Sq kms and 9 l ,508 respectively. On the other hand, certain states of the NE Region having a larger area and greater retractable male population have been given a lower percentage of vacancies.
(b) Nagaland has launched various developmental schemes which provide good job opportunities within the state. Hence, the Noting men are to some extent reluctant to leave their holies and join the army.
(c) Nagas and Kukis are also being enlisted in a newly raised Naga Regiment (Kumaon) and are also being given opportunities for enrolment in para military forces which is not so in the case of the other tribes/sub tribes.
(d) The recommended decrease of 5 per cent in vacancies presently allotted to Nagas and Kukis will not materially alter the existing pattern of the class composition of the Assam Regiment.
(e) With the marginal reduction in the percentage of Nagas and Kukis, other states and tribes/sub-tribes of the NE Regions who have long been neglected, will benefit correspondingly.
20. It is therefore recommended that the group be renamed as "Nagas/ Kukis'' group of Tribes with 30 per cent vacancies as opposed to existing 35 percent.
Garo Group of Tribes.
2l . The Garo group of tribes belong to Meghalaya and consists of Garos including its sub-tribes such as Sangma, Marak and Momin who hail from West, South West (SW) and Southern Meghalaya; Khasis hail from Central Meghalaya including the Shillong long Valley; Jaintias hai l from East Meghalaya and the domiciled Gorkhas who live in and around Shillong in substantial numbers. It is an important group which requires special consideration but in Army HQ letter dated 05 June 1 973 they have been reduced to a minor status of a sub-tribe of only Garos and Khasis and included in the "All other classes tribes/sub-tribes'- group. This is unfortunate and requires restoration to a proper status.
22. It is true that the Jaintia is a small tribe living in almost seclusion in the under developed Eastern Meghalaya and hence drawing no attention from anyone. That is why their tribe's name does not even appear in the Army HQ letter. One can not ignore a tribe however small it is one (nay allot vacancies in proportion to its population but it must get its proper representation. Regret to say that there are hardly any Jaintias in the army today. They are a hardy lot and given a chance they will prove to be fine soldiers.
23. The Khasis on the other hand suffer frown lack of incentive. They have been the ruling class in Meghalaya for a long time; the rate of literacy is high and, due to employment opportunities in Shillong, the Khasis are less inclined to join the army. But Shillong is a big army base with two regimental centres, an area HQ and some active formation located close by should provide enough incentive to the locals to join the forces. There is a need for the army to advertise the benefits and advantages of joining the army by organizing seminars, recruiting melas and concert shows.
24. The Garos are a hardy. very i ndependent and very proud people. They are in fact, the mainstay of tribes from Meghalaya who join the army. They are natural fighters with pride in their tribe. They have produced some outstanding men such as Capt Sangma who was the Ch ief Minister of Meghaiaya in early I 1980s and of course Mr. P. Sangma, Honorable Member of Parliament who was Speaker of Parliament in mid I 1990s. The Garos with their sub-tribes do make fine soldiers and every possible effort should be made to enlist them in the Assam Regiment.
25. This leaves the Domicile Gorkhas who live in and around Shillong in quite a large numbers. It (nay be remembered that the 8th Gorkha Rifles Regimental Centre used to be in Shillong even before the World War l 1. Now there is a combined 5th and 8th Gorkha Rifles Training Centre in Shillong (58 GC). lt has been a practice ever since the Nepalese Gorkhas were enlisted in the I ndian Army that on retirement not all soldiers return home in Nepal for final settlement but quite a few of them decide to settle down in and around the place where their regimental centre is located. It provides easy receipt of their pension.. provide rations, canteen and medical facilites, their re-employment if any, their childrens' education and future employment. In the case of Shillong, a substantial number of Gorkha ex- servicemen from a Gorkha Rifles over three quarters a century and now 58 GTC since mid I 1970 have settled down in the Shillong Valley. The children of these domiciled Gorkhas have no other employment opportunities in the state as the locals get preference in the stale enterprises. Even enrollment in Gorkha Regiments is difficult as the majority of fresh recruits leave to come from Nepal. Therefore, enrollment of domiciled Gorkhas in the Assam Regiment needs serious consideration.
26. lt is. therefor, recommended that the Garos Grotto of Tribes from Meghalaya be considered a separate group for enlistment in the Assam Regiment with l 0 percent vacancies allotted to it.
All other Classes Tribes and Sub Tribes Groups
27. This group should include tribes from Arunachal Pradeshs Manipur and Tripura as well as domicile Gorkha settled throughout North Eastern State. Arunachal is a sparsely populated state having a recruitable poufation of 25113( 1971 census). The state extends over vast stretches of rugged and inaccessible areas covering 83,578 sq kms. It has a large international border with Tibet in the West and North and is one of the most backward states in the North Eastern Region. The local administration in the state has generally been far from satisfactory because of vast distances and lack of communication. This was further compounded by the fact that Arunachal enjoyed a special status for decades being administered directly by the Centre even after independence and thereby isolated from the North Eastern Regional administration. It therefore suffered in adequate attention being paid to the recruitment off various tribes in the army.
28. But, lately, a great deal of enthusiasm has been shown by the civil administration who have taken various measures to boost recruitment in the armed forces from the state. The state has a number of tribes and sub tribes such as Mishmis, Wanchoos, Mompas, Apatani, Nocte, Goli, Aka and Shedurkpen who have the potential of making good soldiers. It is recommended that the percentage of recruitment frown Arunachal Pradesh be increased for the following reasons:
(a) It is a backward state and increase in recruitment from the state will help in providing job opportunity and improving the general standard of the people.
(b) 'With the development of communication system in the state, the area which were hitherto inaccessible from the state are gradually becoming more and more accessible and it is now possible to meet recruiting demands from these areas.
(c) The state has a long international border and is therefore located in a very strategic and sensitive area. Increase in the recruitment from this state will help strengthen the over all security of this area.
Tripura Stale
29. Tripura state has the following tribes/sub-tribes i.e. Tripuri, Hmar. Jamatia Reang, Noatia Mog, Munda and other minor tribes. Accordingly to the existing policy 25 per cent vacancies have been allotted for "all other classes tribcs/ sub-trt bes i n Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, M izoram, Nagaland, Tripura including domiciled Gorkhas in the North Eastern States as well as Garos and Khasis'' But according to the revised recomlnendation all tribes/sub-tribes belonging to Mizoram have been clubbed together and allotted separate vacancies. Similarly, in the case of Nagaland, all Naga tribes have also been clubbed together into a separate group which has been allotted vacancies accordingly. Again tribes in Meghalaya have now been clubbed into a new group called Garo group of tribes and allotted l 0 percent vacancies This will leave ) 5 per cent vacancies for this group to cater for the tribes belonging to Arunachal Pradesh Tripura Manipur and domiciled Gorkha exclusively. This will also do away with the bias hitherto favoured certain states at the cost of others in the region.
Manipur State
30. Manipur state can be divided into four different areas for the purpose of recruitment. In the North is the hilly tract of Ukhrul district which has the Thangkul and Alao Naga tribes which are covered in the Naga/kuki group. In the south west is the Churachandpur area along the ManipurMizoram border which is inhabited by mainly Hmar tribe which is covered by Mizo/Lushai group and also Kukis who come under the Naga/Kuki group. Then there is the Eastern region bordering Indo-Burma border called PalelChandel area which has prominent tribes called Mering, Nomols and Anals who do not feature in the Army HQ letter of June 1 973 . They should be included in the A other classes, tribes/sub-tribes groups, but the most important caste/tribe of Manipur live in the Central Imphal Valley. They are the MEITEIS or MEETIES who have been the ruling class of Manipur for centuries. They are Mill a most important caste in the whole of Manipur and dominate the political and socio-economic life of the state. If is surprising that the Army HQ in their letter of JunI 973 paid no attention to this class. If they have ruled the state for centuries they must have provided the then ruler. all the soldiers for his state army and police forces and therefore, they have the basic and necessary qualities inherent in them for good soldier material. It is therefore suggested that they should be given their due share in the recruitment in the Assam Regiment.
Domiciled Gorkhas
31. There are a large number of dominciled Gorkhas in practically all the North Eastern States It may be recalled that when the original Assam Rifles were raised e.g, 1 st
Assam Rifles at Aizawl, 2nd Assam Rifles at Sadiya, and Assam Rfiles at Kohima and 4th Assam Rifles at Imphal and so on, their class composition was 75 percent Gorkhas and 25 per cent locals from where the battalion was located. it would be no exaggeration to say that such large number of Gorkhas were recruited in the Assam Rifles in the initial stage because no other Indian class people or tribe were willing to serve in those in accessible and inhospitable areas where communications were almost non-existent. It took soldiers sometimes three weeks to a month to reach their post on foot. The area was infested with mosquitoes and very little medical facilities or any other amenities available. Under these conditions the Gorkha soldiers came thousands of miles from their homes to serve the government of India under difficult conditions sacrificing every - thing, their homes, families, relatives and their dear ones. Over a period of time their families joined them and many on retirement chose to stay and settled down in their respective areas out of sheer compulsion and economic necessity. They are now indian citizens. For their extreme sacrifice for over a century the least the government of India can do is to give these descendants of Gorkha soldiers an equals opportunity for enrolment in the army in particular the Assam Regiment.
Final Recommendations
32. From the foregoing, it is apparent that the existing percentage allotment of vacancies of traditional classes for the Assam Regiment is not rational as vacancies are not evenly distributed amongst the various classes, tribes and sub-tribes of the North Eastern Region. Furthermore, requisite measures have not been taken to step tip the recruitment in area which have remained relatively backward for one reason or another. The following changes - in the recruitment policy, in so far as it is concerns the North Eastern Region are therefore recommended :
(a) Assamese including Kacharis group should include Bodo tribes also and hence its percentage be increased from 1 5 percent to 20 percentage.
(b) Hmars, Pawi, Lakher and Chakma tribes be included in the percentage of vacancies presently earmarked for Mizo/Lushai and increased to 25 percent as opposed to .. 20 percent at present. '
(c) Reduction in the existing percentage of vacancies of . Nagas and Kukis from 35 percent to 30 percent.
(d) Inclusion of a separate group called Garo Tribal Group from Meghalaya including Garo group of tribes, Khasis, Jaintias and domiciled Gorkhas and allotted I 0 percent vacancies.
(e) Al1 other tribes should include large number of tribes from Tripura, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Bhutanese, Mishmis and domiciled Gorkhas with 1 5 percent of vacancies.
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