Meitei-Kuki police cadets trained by Assam Cops to work for peace

In an important security development, nearly 2,000 recruits joined the Manipur Police on December 23 after intensive training in Assam. The Lachit Borphukan Police Academy (LBPA) in Dergaon, Assam, witnessed a momentous occasion on Monday as nearly 2,000 recruits officially passed out, ready to serve their state amidst ongoing challenges.

Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh graced the passing-out ceremony as the chief guest, alongside Assam and Manipur Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, marking the culmination of an arduous 44-week training program that began in January this year. Speaking to the media, the Manipur CM stated, “Assam and Manipur have an old relationship. Earlier, our Kings had come to Assam. Due to the current situation in Manipur, we have come here to train and I have to appreciate from the bottom of my heart to Assam CM who has told me about the training centre in Assam and allowed us to train here. I want to thank especially Assam CM and all HMs and MLAs and Police officials as they have trained our kids.”

The training was initially planned for 44 weeks but stretched longer due to a two-week mid-term break in June 2024, during which several recruits returned late. Despite this, the academy successfully trained 1,946 recruits, with only a few unable to complete the program due to medical or personal reasons.

The recruits were fully motivated to serve Manipur and to work towards restoring peace in the region. “I am happy, we will serve nicely. There is a lot of crisis and we will try to do our best. In the force, we all, Meities, Kukis, and Muslims, are in the same family and stay together. We will do our duty to bring peace,” said a candidate.

This batch of recruits was drawn from nine India Reserve (IR) Battalions and six Manipur Rifles Battalions, reflecting the state’s diverse communities. The caste composition included 62% Meiteis, 12% Kukis, and 26% Nagas and other tribes. Their training covered a comprehensive curriculum: physical fitness, unarmed combat, disaster management, law and policing, crowd control, and tactical operations.