Assam Regiment begin platinum jubilee in Meghalaya

The Assam Regiment, an infantry regiment of the Indian Army, on Tuesday began its four-day Platinum Jubilee celebrations at its regimental centre here in Meghalaya.

On Wednesday, Chief of the Army Staff General Dalbir Singh will be addressing the soldiers of the Assam Regiment and dedicate the war memorial here at Happy Valley.

The greeting 'Tagda Raho' will ring across the picturesque Happy Valley in Shillong as former commanding officers get together with retired and serving 'Rhinos' -- as the troops call themselves -- during the celebrations.

The regimental greeting 'Tagda Raho' (Stay Fit) was first introduced by Late Major General S.C. Barbora, who was commanding officer of the regiment in the 1960s.

General Dalbir Singh will be accompanied by Deputy Chief of the Army staff Lt. Gen. Subrata Saha, who is the Colonel Commandant of the regiment, besides General Officer Commanding in Chief of Eastern Command Lt. Gen. Praveen Bakshi and Army Commander, Central Command, Lt. Gen. B.S. Negi.

The four-day celebrations would include presentation of colours to four of the newly-raised Battalions of Assam Regiment, dedication of War Memorial, commemoration of the raising, battalion get-together, Sainik Sammelan and inauguration of a museum, Defence PRO Group Captain Amit Mahajan said.

The Assam Regiment was raised on June 15, 1941 in Shillong by Lieutenant Colonel Ross Howman at the Governor's House of the undivided Assam. The House is the present day Raj Bhavan in Meghalaya's capital Shillong.

"The regiment was raised to meet demands from the undivided state of Assam and to counter the threat of Japanese invasion. It was baptism by fire for the regiment. The Assam Regiment fought a battle at Jessami and participated in the epic defence of Kohima and capture of Aradura (Nagaland)," Defence Spokesman Amit Mahajan told IANS.

The regiment was adjudged the best marching contingent in the services category during Republic Day Parade 2016. The contingent, comprising 149 soldiers from the seven north eastern states, was led by Lt Aditya Bisht.

The Assam Regiment has the unique distinction of winning six battle honours and theatre honour of Myanmar during the Second World War and also had the distinction of winning Battle honour of Chhamb and theatre honour of Jammu and Kashmir in 1947-48 and again in 1971, Mahajan said.

After Independence, the Assam Regiment has participated in all the wars India has fought against Pakistan and against China. The soldiers of the regiment were also inducted in the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka and UN Peace Keeping Force in Cambodia.

The regiment has now raised 15 regular units, three Rashtriya Rifles units, three infantry battalions of the Territorial Army, two Ecological Battalions of the Territorial Army and two battalion of Arunachal Scouts.

Three battalions of the regiment also acquitted themselves admirably at Siachen Glacier, the highest battlefield of the world.

--IANS

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