u/Eric_AnthRax

Was scrolling through FB and this post came up by someone who is a veteran of the Assam Rifles.

The caption basically says - "What happened in Assam Rifles in 1986?"

This particular year was unprecedented for the AR and probably the whole Armed Forces.

A fact which has been buried from everyone.

Assam Rifles - The Paramilitary Force as people know today is way different from what it was before 1986.

Before this year, AR used to be affiliated with Indian Army regiments like the Rashtriya Rifles of today.

And the troops were entitled to the same pays and perks as the Indian Army including the Military Service Pay.

The uniform was also olive green.

The 4th CPC came in 1986, and it recommended to GoI that AR shouldn't get facilities at par with the Army.

Following which, the GoI stopped all the Army affiliations, pays and perks were decreased.

The then DG, Lt Gen PE Menon who spearheaded all these then changed the uniform from Olive Green to present Grey shirts and the winter wear Angola drab too was stopped.

The AR Act which governs the force today was non existent then.

As AR was subjected to the Army Act 1951 for majority functions and also the British era AR Act 1941 for few minor functions.. this act basically states that - "AR is deemed to be Army"

So after this, all of these acts were no more applicable to them.

As a result of all these massive changes within days, there was massive outrage among the troops.

Many had gone into hunger strike and were directly disobeying their officers.

When the Senior General officers tried to reach out.. their helicopter wasn't being allowed to land.

This went on for a few days but later the senior JCOs somehow calmed down the situation.

Later, more than a thousand soldiers were subjected to Court Martial and jailed in quarter guards.

This was probably the only time in India when salaries and perks were decreased after a pay commission rather than hiking.

The present CAPFs officers who feel betrayed by the MHA and GoI is unfortunate but they have done even worse things in the past.

Source - Self

Lt Gen Vikas Lakhera, DG Assam Rifles visits units of Assam Rifles which are deployed in Counter Insurgency Operations in J&K as part of the Kilo Force.

These units operate under the umbrella of Rashtriya Rifles.

Apart from Kilo, Assam Rifles units also are part of the CIF Delta Force.

The DG also interacted with Northern Army Cdr - Lt Gen Pratik Sharma, GOC 15 Corps and GOC CIF Kilo.

Source - Internet

Students and teachers of Serchhip Shalom Special School - Mizoram (Vohbik School) expressed deep sadness as 14 Assam Rifles Commandant Col. Archit Goswami was transferred to another posting.

Col. Goswami is known for his care and support towards the special school and its students.