Bot at 03:04, 8 November 2022

2022-11-08T03:04:09Z

New page

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox Military Unit
| unit_name = Arunachal Scouts
| dates = 2010–present
| country = {{flag|India}}
| allegiance = {{flag|India}}
| branch = {{army|India}}
| type = Mountain infantry
| role = [[Close-quarters combat]] [[Cold-weather warfare]] [[Counterinsurgency]] [[Forward observer]] [[Internal security]] [[Jungle warfare]] [[Mountain warfare]] [[Raid (military)|Raiding]] [[Reconnaissance]] [[Tracking (Scouting)|Tracking]] [[Urban warfare]]
| size = 2 battalions
| command_structure =
| garrison =
| garrison_label =
| equipment =
| equipment_label =
| patron =
| motto =
| colors =
| colors_label =
| march =
| mascot =
| battles =
| anniversaries =
| decorations =
| battle_honours = 
| current_commander =
| current_commander_label =
| ceremonial_chief =
| ceremonial_chief_label =
| colonel_of_the_regiment =
| colonel_of_the_regiment_label =
| notable_commanders = 
| identification_symbol =
| identification_symbol_label =
| identification_symbol_2 =
| identification_symbol_2_label =
}}
The '''Arunachal Scouts''' is an [[infantry regiment]] of [[Indian army]] based in [[Arunachal Pradesh]]. Specialising in [[mountain warfare]] the regiment was established with the purpose of defending the [[India|Indian]]-[[China|Chinese]] border in [[Arunachal Pradesh]]. A large proportion of the Arunachal Scouts are local to the region in which they work. Previously Part of the Indian Army’s [[Assam Regiment]], the Arunachal Scouts consist of two [[battalion]]s, the first raised in 2010 and second in 2012.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2 May 2012|title=First Arunachal Scouts battalion arrives in state |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/First-Arunachal-Scouts-battalion-arrives-in-state/articleshow/12969462.cms|access-date=2020-11-03|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref>

==History==

=== Context ===
Tensions between [[India]] and [[China]] at the Tibetan border particularly with relation to [[Arunachal Pradesh]] have historically been high, with [[Sino-Indian War|China’s 1962 invasion of India]] bringing this issue to light.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Chellaney|first=Brahma|date=2012|title=Rising Powers, Rising Tensions: The Troubled China-India Relationship|url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/493423|journal=SAIS Review of International Affairs|language=en|volume=32|issue=2|pages=99–108|doi=10.1353/sais.2012.0030|issn=1945-4724}}</ref> Decades after the [[Sino-Indian War]], the 4,057 kilometre boundary separating the two countries remains disputed leaving Himalayan control lines ambiguous.<ref name=":1" /> China’s continued interest in staking a claim in India’s northeast has led to [[China]]’s practice of referring to the [[Arunachal Pradesh|Arunachal Pradesh region]] as ‘Southern Tibet’ paired with an increased Chinese militant presence at the border led to the formation and mobilisation of the Arunachal Scouts, as a means of reinforcements for the [[Ladakh Scouts|Ladakh]] and [[Sikkim Scouts]].<ref name=":1" /> Having already witnessed the victory of China’s [[People's Liberation Army|People’s Liberation Army]] (PLA) against Indian soldiers in 1962 in [[Arunachal Pradesh]], reporters theorised the defeat of the Indian army to be due to factors such as diminished roads and communication capabilities as well as a lack of high-level ammunition and arms.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|title=Are India and China heading towards another war? |work=The Arunachal Times|url=https://arunachaltimes.in/index.php/2020/10/28/are-india-and-china-heading-towards-another-war/|access-date=2020-11-24|language=en-US}}</ref> These factors, as well as a smaller number of armed forces present at the border, limited understanding of regional topography and [[Acclimatization to high altitude|acclimatisation]] issues, among others, have also been theorised to be responsible for India’s loss as well as providing rationale for the mobilisation of local scouts.<ref name=":6" />

On 13 October 2020, the [[Chairman of the Central Military Commission (China)|Chairman of the Central Military Commission]], [[Xi Jinping]] told the [[People's Liberation Army|People’s Liberation Army]] (PLA) of [[China]] to prepare themselves for further conflict with [[India]], asking the soldiers to "put all minds and energy on preparing for war."<ref name=":6" /> Currently, [[India]] sustains a growing and significant number of soldiers near the border with China, including the Arunachal Scouts of [[Arunachal Pradesh]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last=Rehman|first=Iskander|date=2018-03-07|title=A Himalayan Challenge|url=https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review/vol70/iss1/6|journal=Naval War College Review|volume=70|issue=1|issn=0028-1484}}</ref> Furthermore, India is developing roads in the region in conjunction to stationing the two battalions of Arunachal Scouts, two mountain [[brigade]]s and an artillery division to ensure the [[Indian Army|Indian army]] is prepared.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Mansingh|first=Surjit|date=June 2011|title=India and China Today and Tomorrow|url=https://www-tandfonline-com.ezproxy2.library.usyd.edu.au/doi/full/10.1080/03932729.2011.576170|journal=The International Spectator|volume=46|issue=2|pages=41–55|doi=10.1080/03932729.2011.576170|issn=0393-2729}}</ref> A [[2020–2021 China–India skirmishes|violent exchange in June of 2020]], following the construction of an Indian road in [[Ladakh]] resulted in the death of 20 members of the [[Indian Army]], the first clash in an [[Line of Actual Control|India-China border]] region in over forty years.<ref name=":6" /> The [[Sela Tunnel|Sela tunnel]], which is currently under construction and due to reach completion by February in 2022 will enable connectivity between the [[Dirang]] and [[Tawang]] regions in all weather conditions, enhancing the ability of the [[Indian Army|Indian army]] to defend against the threat China imposes on the region.<ref name=":6" />

=== Reasoning for regiment formation ===
The formation of the Arunachal Scouts as an Indian reaction to an increased Chinese border presence was done in conjunction to the mobilisation of air, artillery and surveillance resources with the intention of strengthening the country’s defense lines in the region.<ref name=":2" /> The further addition of the Arunachal Scouts as a localised force reminiscent of that of the [[Sikkim Scouts|Sikkim]] and [[Ladakh Scouts|Ladakh scouts]], was perceived by the [[Government of India]] to be a cost-effective approach to the policing of the front line with personnel who have a developed understanding of the locale and are accustomed to the high altitude, climate and terrain of the region.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite web|title=Imbalance of Power|url=https://www.cnas.org/publications/reports/imbalance-of-power|access-date=2020-11-03|website=www.cnas.org|language=en}}</ref> Largely, the Arunachal Scouts are used as a means to enrich and further bolster the defensive work of special forces in the area.<ref name=":2" /> This partnership, however, also serves to assist the development of the military skills of the scouts.<ref name=":2" /> Modelled after the local [[Guerrilla warfare|guerrilla]] forces reinforcing the defence of the North-western Indian front line, the advantages experienced through the success of the formation of such forces informed the formation and mobilisation of a similar taskforce in [[Arunachal Pradesh]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|last=Akins|first=Harrison|date=2020-08-17|title=The Assam Rifles and India’s North-East frontier policy|url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09592318.2020.1778213|journal=Small Wars & Insurgencies|language=en|volume=31|issue=6|pages=1373–1394|doi=10.1080/09592318.2020.1778213|issn=0959-2318}}</ref> This use of local militants gives [[India]] the advantage of the ensured and maintained allegiance of the economically subjugated border communities, as well as the development of relatively mobile militant contingents with a vested interest in the defense of the region’s tribal populations and a more developed understanding of the locale in which their trained tactics are utilised.<ref name=":3" /> Furthermore, the scout’s familial links to the local community better equips them to recognise signs of Chinese infiltration across the border into [[Arunachal Pradesh]] as well as to engage with the community using their local language, as in the region there are over twenty-six major tribes.<ref name=":2" />

=== Formation and mobilisation ===
November 2006 saw local concern surrounding the growth in presence of the Chinese militia cause local [[Arunachal Pradesh]] politicians to ask [[Parliament of India|Indian Parliament]] for a stronger [[Indian Armed Forces|Indian Military]] presence surrounding the Tibetan border.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Huang|first=Yasheng|date=2011|title=The Myth of Economic Complementarity in Sino-Indian RelationsS|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24385537|journal=Journal of International Affairs|volume=64|issue=2|pages=111–124|issn=0022-197X}}</ref> The appeal of the locals, paired with Governor [[J. J. Singh|JJ Singh]]’s suggestion in 2008 regarding the mobilisation of Arunachal Scouts intended to reinforce the lines of the military forces already present in the region lead to the advancement of this issue to [[India]]’s [[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister]] at the time, [[Manmohan Singh|Dr. Manmohan Singh]].<ref name=":0" /> The [[Union Council of Ministers|Indian Union Cabinet]] addressed the matter in 2009, leading to the raising of the first battalion of Arunachal Scouts in 2010. The first battalion of the Arunachal scouts were raised out of the pre-existing ranks of the [[Assam Regiment]] of the [[Indian Army]].<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|title=The Arunachal Times - Archives - Nov 13|url=http://www.arunachaltimes.in/archives/nov%2013%20.html|access-date=2020-11-03|website=www.arunachaltimes.in}}</ref> Therefore, although working as part of the [[Assam Regiment]], the regiment personnel administering the defense of [[Arunachal Pradesh]] are from the region working as Arunachal Scouts.<ref name=":5" /> The first division of Arunachal Scouts were posted in Rayang, in the regions Northeast with Rayang acting as the battalion’s headquarters, 30 kilometres away from the headquarters in the [[East Siang district|East Siang]] region.<ref name=":0" /> In addition to acting as a means of fortifying frontier defense on the Tibetan border, the formation and mobilisation of the Arunachal Scouts was also used and viewed as a means of combating the high rates of unemployment experienced by youth in the [[Arunachal Pradesh]] region.<ref name=":3" />

Media reactions to the formation and mobilisation of Arunachal Scouts were rather positive, particularly when keeping the 1962 Chinese invasion of India as well as the more recent death of 20 soldiers in June 2020.<ref name=":6" /> The general attitude towards the scouts acknowledges their familiarity with the region’s climate, land topography and more effective navigational routes and sites these special attributes to be a positive move in the direction of a strong military presence on the border with China.<ref name=":6" />

== Roles and training ==
Under the pretence that it would assist in their future posting in the state, during their training the Arunachal Scouts were advised to familiarise themselves with the [[topography]] of varying landscapes of the region.<ref name=":5" /> The soldiers of the Arunachal Scout battalions specialise in [[mountain warfare]] tactics.<ref name=":5" /> Largely local to the region, when enlisting, Arunachal Scout soldiers are expected to have a deeper understanding of the requisite survival and operational skills that characterise mountain warfare in the North-eastern region.<ref name=":3" />

Similar to the role of the [[Ladakh Scouts]] in the country’s Northwest, the Arunachal Scouts play a largely strategic intelligence and [[Guerrilla warfare|guerrilla tactic]] role along the front line.<ref name=":4" /> Additionally, the scouts have the ability to gain intelligence from locals due to the advantage of trust within the community due to their being local and their ability to speak and understand the resident language.<ref name=":3" />

=== Beyond border defense ===
Following the crash of an [[Antonov An-32|AN-32]] aircraft belonging to the [[Indian Air Force]] in [[Arunachal Pradesh]] on 3 June in 2019, the Arunachal Scouts, along with the [[Indian Army|Indian army]] were recruited to mobilise towards the accident site. Their role was largely to provide aid and assistance at ground zero, as well as ascertain the condition the occupants of the aircraft were in.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web|title=Women stage protest against Arunachal Scouts’ ‘rogue behaviour’ |work=The Arunachal Times|url=https://arunachaltimes.in/index.php/2018/11/07/women-stage-protest-against-arunachal-scouts-rogue-behaviour/|access-date=2020-11-24|language=en-US}}</ref> The aircraft was reportedly spotted 16 kilometres of Lipo at an estimated elevation of 12,000 feet.<ref name=":11"/> There have also been instances whereby the Arunachal Scouts have been involved in the distribution of resources amongst local communities.<ref name=":8">{{Cite web|title=Army jawan donates rations to villagers |work=The Arunachal Times|url=https://arunachaltimes.in/index.php/2020/05/13/army-jawan-donates-rations-to-villagers/|access-date=2020-11-24|language=en-US}}</ref> An instance occurred on 12 May 2020 whereby a scout and their family members distributed 10 kilograms of rice and 1 kilogram of salt each to approximately 112 people from a village in the [[Longding district|Longding]] region of [[Arunachal Pradesh]], financed by the scout member himself. The scout member also paid the costs involved in the transportation and procurement of the resources for the village.<ref name=":8" />

== Tensions with police ==
The events of the [[Bomdila police-Army incident]] have resulted in heightened tensions between the second battalion of Arunachal Scouts and local [[Arunachal Pradesh]] police officers in [[Bomdila]].<ref name=":12">{{Cite web|last=Panag|first=Lt Gen H. S.|date=2018-11-15|title=Arrogant bureaucracy and a sulking Army are not good for India’s national security|url=https://theprint.in/opinion/arrogant-bureaucracy-and-a-sulking-army-are-not-good-for-indias-national-security/149702/|access-date=2020-11-24|website=ThePrint|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":10">{{Cite web|title=Arunachal Scouts personnel vandalize PS, PWD office |work=The Arunachal Times|url=https://arunachaltimes.in/index.php/2018/11/04/arunachal-scouts-personnel-vandalize-ps-pwd-office/|access-date=2020-11-24|language=en-US}}</ref> Local police allege the altercation was sparked when scouts involved themselves in an altercation with the police forces and civilians and thus, were arrested during the Buddha Mahotsava celebration.<ref name=":12"/> However, the army alleges that the scouts were arrested without reason, and were assaulted by the [[Arunachal Pradesh Police|Arunachal Pradesh police]], sustaining serious injuries that lead to their hospitalisation upon their release from police custody.<ref name=":12"/> Following on from the physical altercation between local police and the scouts, scout personnel reportedly showed up in hundreds and were reported to have vandalised the local police station and their office on the second day of the [[Buddha Mahotsava]] celebrations.<ref name=":10" /> The police allege members of the second regiment of Arunachal Scouts vandalised approximately five police vehicles, broke windows and doors and took weapons the local police stored in their station.<ref name=":10" />

== Reception to the Scouts ==
Following the [[Bomdila police-Army incident|Bomdila Police-Army incident]], community organisations from [[West Kameng district|West Kameng]] held an emergency meeting, leading them to condemn the behaviour of the scouts.<ref name=":10" /> The Local organisations of [[West Kameng district|West Kameng]] perceived the actions of the 2nd battalion of Arunachal scouts to be indicative of a lack of regard for the local police and administration, expressing their solidarity with the district administration and police.<ref name=":10" />

The [[All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union|All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union]] (AAPSU) also denounced the actions of the scouts, pushing for an inquiry into the incident as well as just punishment of the perpetrators.<ref name=":10" /> Viewing their behaviour to be reflective of a disciplinary lapse, the AAPSU went further to express the fearful feelings members of the public had towards the scouts following the incident.<ref name=":10" />

In [[Itanagar]] on 6 November, various Women’s associations of the [[West Kameng district|West Kameng]] region of [[Arunachal Pradesh]] initiated a protest against the second battalion of Arunachal Scouts in [[Bomdila]]'s Buddha Park, labelling their actions in [[Bomdila]] as "unruly rogue behaviour".<ref name=":11"/> The protestors believed the actions of the scouts to be evidence of a "disregard for the policewomen on duty" as well as an absence of attitudes they believed to be conducive to the operation of a disciplined armed force.<ref name=":11" /> Seeking action to rectify their perceived issues within the scouts, many protestors also took part to express their perception of being unsafe in the presence of the Arunachal Scouts.<ref name=":11" />

For almost a week, local media remained quiet on the altercation in [[Bomdila]], [[Arunachal Pradesh]].<ref name=":12"/> Some local news reporters fear that the events that occurred between the army and the police in [[Arunachal Pradesh]] are indicative of larger issues of animosity, suspicion and resentment between the two forces.<ref name=":12" /> Public support for the scouts as opposed to the police force has also been reported to cause stress for the IPS association and the Indian Civil and Administrative Services (ICS/AS).<ref name=":12" /> Local news outlets report support from portions of the public despite actions of the scouts and have rather been acclaimed to be acts of bravery.<ref name=":12" />

==References==
{{reflist}}

==See also==
*[[Bomdila police-Army incident]]
*[[List of regiments of the Indian Army]]
*[[Ladakh Scouts]]

[[Category:Military units and formations established in 2009]]
[[Category:Infantry regiments of the Indian Army from 1947]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Arunachal Pradesh]]

Arunachal Scouts - Revision history

Bot at 03:04, 8 November 2022