Manipur Police personnel at their passing out ceremony in Assam’s Dergaon
Guwahati/New Delhi:
Lachit Borphukan Police Academy (LBPA) in Assam’s Dergaon saw a momentous occasion on Monday when nearly 2,000 recruits of the Manipur Police participated in their passing out ceremony, ready to serve their state amid the ongoing challenges.
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, who attended the passing out ceremony, said very old ties between Assam and Manipur are seeing a new bonding.
“As the situation is not good in Manipur, IRB (India Reserve Battalion) training wasn’t possible there. When I asked Himanta Biswa Sarma ji, he immediately agreed to facilitate training in Assam. I am extremely grateful to him, his colleagues in the government and the Assam DGP,” Mr Singh said.
“Today, I attended their passing out parade, and it is such a good feeling. The situation in Manipur is complex; it will take time to heal, but gradually it’s getting better,” the Chief Minister said.
Assam and Manipur Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya also attended the passing out ceremony at the police academy known for its rigorous and comprehensive training programmes.
This batch of recruits was drawn from nine IRBs and six Manipur Rifles battalions, reflecting the state’s diverse communities – Meiteis (62 per cent), Kukis (12 per cent), Nagas (26 per cent), and other tribes.
Mr Singh said the recruits will be posted together as a “team” in an attempt to bring back peace in the ethnic violence-hit state.
“Community-wise division took place due to the present situation. It was not like this earlier, and I will not allow this to happen in future,” Mr Singh told reporters after the ceremony, adding the newly trained personnel will have to do everything together in the manner in which they were trained.
“We have to start working together to bring peace to the state. Their postings will be together. We will not break the team. We will try to restore the unity of earlier Manipur,” Mr Singh said.
Impressive display of skill and discipline by our recruits during the Unarmed Combat demonstration!
I appreciate the true spirit of courage and preparedness of the new recruits. Keep up the exceptional efforts as you continue to serve and protect with honor. My best wishes to… pic.twitter.com/KJM2voLvhG
— N. Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) December 23, 2024
Their training covered a comprehensive curriculum – physical fitness, unarmed combat, disaster management, law and policing, crowd control, and tactical operations.
“The recruits arrived with significant challenges. At least 50 per cent were overweight, including 5 per cent classified as obese, and 31 per cent fell into the 30-40 age group, presenting unique physical demands,” an official of the top police academy said.
By the end of the programme, only 5 per cent remained overweight due to chronic medical conditions, a testament to the academy’s rigorous training regimen, the official said.