Pankaj Borthakur and Swarvanu Nath Deka find out how the River Police Organisation has been functioning in Assam, without the required manpower and essential machine boats as well as firearms.
When on a foggy morning we met constable Deven (not real name) on the 
bank of the mighty river Brahmaputra in December, 2008, he was returning from a patrolling boat to his outpost. He has been working in the River Police Organisation for more than a decade. Along with two of his colleagues Deven looked smart in police uniform wielding 303 rifles while their ‘driver constable’ Abdul (not real name) was in casual dress. Although Abdul said he has been serving as a permanent employee in the force for 15 years, he is still waiting for a departmental uniform for easy identification. He said, “we, the driver constables, have no uniform. The department provided us uniform a long time ago. But now we have to wait for few minutes to identify ourselves as the members of the river police before the public.”
With the spirit of dedication to the maintenance of riverine law and order in Assam, employees like Deven and Abdul served as confident sentinels in the silent waterways of the Brahmaputra in the 1960s. Yet, over time, they have lost their original confidence due to some unexplained reasons in their home state Assam.
Established as one of the important branches of Assam Police, the River Police Organisation has 48 years of existence. According to information in the departmental website, this organization was formed in 1960 under ‘Rule 58’ of the Assam Police Manual, Part VI for effective prevention of infiltration of foreigners through river routes. Besides, prevention and detection of crime in river areas is another noteworthy duty of this police organization. But has it proved itself as a reliable organization fulfilling public desires in the greater interest of the state?
Although the duties of river police in Assam are limited to two functions, they are reportedly remaining as an inactive force. Many non-political organizations and pressure groups in the state claim this. According to a statement released by the All Assam Students Union (AASU), “the riverine police in Assam remains as a failing force in prevention and detection of illegal infiltration to the state.” However, a number of investigative media reports also prove this point.
On the basis of investigation, now it can be said that dearth of manpower with modern effective equipment and the lack of proper training contribute to the inactiveness of the force in the mighty Brahmaputra and its few tributaries. Out of the total 204 sanctioned posts in the River Police Organisation in Assam 111 posts were remaining vacant till last few months. But the irony is that an official of the department, in that time also, mentioned that the organization had a total strength of 122 personnel of different ranks.
At present there are four river police stations and six outposts in the state. The four stations are located at Tezpur, Biswanath Chariali, Pancharatna and Sualkuchi. The outposts are in Bongaigaon, Dhubri, Barpeta and Kamrup districts which are named as Aye RPO, Majeralga RPO, Chanderdinga RPO, Mahamaya RPO, Beki RPO and Nagarbera RPO. The Western Brahmaputra Circle (Goalpara) and the Central Brahmaputra Circle (Sualkuchi) conduct these sanctioned stations and outposts along with the only non-sanctioned outpost located at Pandu in Guwahati. But in reality they cannot operate their force with complete effect due to the dearth of manpower. A sub-inspector (SI) and four constables have to guard 30 kilometres of riverine area in the Brahmaputra. The constables use only 303 rifles. Besides this, an SI said that most of his colleagues in equal rank are deprived of even their service revolvers also. Another officer said, “I have been working here without a single weapon for more than five years.”
River police in Assam is also deprived of proper machine boats, which are most essential in performing their day-to-day duties in waterways properly. Driver constable Abdul, who has the experience of working in three different river police stations, said: “Most of our boats are equipped with 8 HP engines. Such an engine can run a boat with a maximum speed of 3-4 kilometres per hour in the Brahmaputra in winter. But during the summer, when the water current is unpredictably high in the river, we cannot even drive our boats with these engines.” One officer said that he has been serving with these ordinary boats for around five years. “I have spent five years here with a boat of 8 HP engine. But most of the criminals use the boats equipped with 20 HP engines. These engines provide them the maximum speed of 8-10 kilometres per hour against the speedy water current in the Brahmaputra.” Besides this, he said, there is no electricity, no telephone facility, no drinking water facility, no proper sanitation in their office campus.
The reality prevailing in river policing in Assam has worked to the advantage of illegal migrants, criminals and militants using the Brahmaputra. After the arrest of two militants with 10 kilograms of RDX explosives on February 14, 2008, from a boat on the Brahmaputra at Goroimari in Kamrup district, police officials in the state confirmed that militants have been using the river route in Assam. It was also reported that the arrested militants had confessed to have been using the river route to ferry explosives, ammunition and arms. This condition, perhaps, might have been existing in the river route of Assam for many years.
But the reality in river policing in Assam is now about to change. In the aftermath of the terror attacks in Mumbai, the Government of Assam now focuses its attention on the rejuvenation of riverine police force in the state. The Chief Minister has already declared that Assam will form a new riverine force within a short period to combat terrorism in the state. Such government initiatives with departmental support now brings back the smile to some of the employees in the organization. The DGP (Border) of the organization says: “Although the river police could not perform its duties with complete success due to some unwanted reasons, yet now I hope that the government’s new initiatives will surely strengthen the force within a short span of time in the state.” The importance of river police force is now realized in almost all the terror-affected riverine regions across the world. In the wake of Mumbai attacks, the British Royal Navy and the police have stepped up patrolling along the river Thames to prevent the possibility of Mumbai-style terror attacks ahead of the 2012 London Olympics.
Pankaj Borthakur, Swarvanu Nath Deka
bank of the mighty river Brahmaputra in December, 2008, he was returning from a patrolling boat to his outpost. He has been working in the River Police Organisation for more than a decade. Along with two of his colleagues Deven looked smart in police uniform wielding 303 rifles while their ‘driver constable’ Abdul (not real name) was in casual dress. Although Abdul said he has been serving as a permanent employee in the force for 15 years, he is still waiting for a departmental uniform for easy identification. He said, “we, the driver constables, have no uniform. The department provided us uniform a long time ago. But now we have to wait for few minutes to identify ourselves as the members of the river police before the public.”With the spirit of dedication to the maintenance of riverine law and order in Assam, employees like Deven and Abdul served as confident sentinels in the silent waterways of the Brahmaputra in the 1960s. Yet, over time, they have lost their original confidence due to some unexplained reasons in their home state Assam.
Established as one of the important branches of Assam Police, the River Police Organisation has 48 years of existence. According to information in the departmental website, this organization was formed in 1960 under ‘Rule 58’ of the Assam Police Manual, Part VI for effective prevention of infiltration of foreigners through river routes. Besides, prevention and detection of crime in river areas is another noteworthy duty of this police organization. But has it proved itself as a reliable organization fulfilling public desires in the greater interest of the state?
Although the duties of river police in Assam are limited to two functions, they are reportedly remaining as an inactive force. Many non-political organizations and pressure groups in the state claim this. According to a statement released by the All Assam Students Union (AASU), “the riverine police in Assam remains as a failing force in prevention and detection of illegal infiltration to the state.” However, a number of investigative media reports also prove this point.
On the basis of investigation, now it can be said that dearth of manpower with modern effective equipment and the lack of proper training contribute to the inactiveness of the force in the mighty Brahmaputra and its few tributaries. Out of the total 204 sanctioned posts in the River Police Organisation in Assam 111 posts were remaining vacant till last few months. But the irony is that an official of the department, in that time also, mentioned that the organization had a total strength of 122 personnel of different ranks.At present there are four river police stations and six outposts in the state. The four stations are located at Tezpur, Biswanath Chariali, Pancharatna and Sualkuchi. The outposts are in Bongaigaon, Dhubri, Barpeta and Kamrup districts which are named as Aye RPO, Majeralga RPO, Chanderdinga RPO, Mahamaya RPO, Beki RPO and Nagarbera RPO. The Western Brahmaputra Circle (Goalpara) and the Central Brahmaputra Circle (Sualkuchi) conduct these sanctioned stations and outposts along with the only non-sanctioned outpost located at Pandu in Guwahati. But in reality they cannot operate their force with complete effect due to the dearth of manpower. A sub-inspector (SI) and four constables have to guard 30 kilometres of riverine area in the Brahmaputra. The constables use only 303 rifles. Besides this, an SI said that most of his colleagues in equal rank are deprived of even their service revolvers also. Another officer said, “I have been working here without a single weapon for more than five years.”
River police in Assam is also deprived of proper machine boats, which are most essential in performing their day-to-day duties in waterways properly. Driver constable Abdul, who has the experience of working in three different river police stations, said: “Most of our boats are equipped with 8 HP engines. Such an engine can run a boat with a maximum speed of 3-4 kilometres per hour in the Brahmaputra in winter. But during the summer, when the water current is unpredictably high in the river, we cannot even drive our boats with these engines.” One officer said that he has been serving with these ordinary boats for around five years. “I have spent five years here with a boat of 8 HP engine. But most of the criminals use the boats equipped with 20 HP engines. These engines provide them the maximum speed of 8-10 kilometres per hour against the speedy water current in the Brahmaputra.” Besides this, he said, there is no electricity, no telephone facility, no drinking water facility, no proper sanitation in their office campus.
The reality prevailing in river policing in Assam has worked to the advantage of illegal migrants, criminals and militants using the Brahmaputra. After the arrest of two militants with 10 kilograms of RDX explosives on February 14, 2008, from a boat on the Brahmaputra at Goroimari in Kamrup district, police officials in the state confirmed that militants have been using the river route in Assam. It was also reported that the arrested militants had confessed to have been using the river route to ferry explosives, ammunition and arms. This condition, perhaps, might have been existing in the river route of Assam for many years.
But the reality in river policing in Assam is now about to change. In the aftermath of the terror attacks in Mumbai, the Government of Assam now focuses its attention on the rejuvenation of riverine police force in the state. The Chief Minister has already declared that Assam will form a new riverine force within a short period to combat terrorism in the state. Such government initiatives with departmental support now brings back the smile to some of the employees in the organization. The DGP (Border) of the organization says: “Although the river police could not perform its duties with complete success due to some unwanted reasons, yet now I hope that the government’s new initiatives will surely strengthen the force within a short span of time in the state.” The importance of river police force is now realized in almost all the terror-affected riverine regions across the world. In the wake of Mumbai attacks, the British Royal Navy and the police have stepped up patrolling along the river Thames to prevent the possibility of Mumbai-style terror attacks ahead of the 2012 London Olympics.
Pankaj Borthakur, Swarvanu Nath Deka
