Shillong, Nov. 16: The chief of army staff, Gen. Dalbir Singh, today called upon personnel of the Assam Regiment here to keep their word to protect and serve the nation.

Gen. Singh presented colours to the four new battalions - 16 and 17 Assam Regiment and 1 and 2 Arunachal Scouts during the colours presentation parade.

Led by the Assam Regimental Centre commandant, Brig. Sudhir Kumar Jha, the colours presentation parade was witnessed by deputy chief of army staff, Lt Gen. Subrata Saha, who is also the Colonel Commandant of the Assam Regiment and Arunachal Scouts, general-officer commanding-in-chief of Eastern Command, Lt Gen. Praveen Bakshi, and army commander, Central Command, Lt Gen. B.S. Negi, besides serving members and veterans of the force and their family members.

"We have all sworn to protect and serve the nation, and we shall keep our word with honesty and loyalty at all cost. I hope you will duly perform your responsibility and continue to lift the name and the flag of the regiment to higher platforms and make the army and the country proud," Singh urged in his brief address.

Stating that the Assam Regiment is one of the oldest and finest regiments of the army, Singh said he was honoured and immensely proud to address the fraternity as the oldest regiment has been able to march ahead with valour to glory.

Congratulating the regiment and the four new units, Singh said: "Today, you have crossed yet another milestone and will always lift the name of the army. The 16 and 17 battalions and 1 and 2 Arunachal Scouts will, in the coming years, make a remarkable presence through valour, hard work, quality standards, devotion and sheer discipline and always come forth to provide services to the country."

The chief of army staff also lauded the retired and serving officers of various ranks, personnel and their families.

Gen. Singh dedicated the expanded and renovated War Memorial as part of the platinum jubilee celebrations. The war memorial of the regiment, comprising names of 376 martyrs, was inaugurated on November 24, 1953, by then chief minister of undivided Assam, Bishnuram Medhi.

Later, Meghalaya governor V. Shanmuganathan unveiled a commemorative plaque of the Assam Regiment at the lawns of Raj Bhavan here in the presence of Gen. Saha. He released The Indomitable Rhino Warriors of India's Northeast covering the period from 2002 to 2016. The book was authored by Lt Gen. (retd) J.R. Mukherjee and Col (retd) Mani K. Gahatraj.

Shanmuganathan said the regiment had truly lived up to the expectations of the people in the Northeast and the founding fathers of the regiment and has been able to showcase the vast talent of the people of the region at the national and international levels. Tomorrow, Union minister of state for home affairs Kiren Rijiju will attend the celebrations.

The Assam Regiment was raised on June 15, 1941 in Shillong by Lt Col Ross Howman at the Governor's House of undivided Assam (the present Raj Bhavan) to meet the claim of then undivided state of Assam for its own fighting unit and to counter the threat of the Japanese invasion.

The regiment has raised several regular units - three Rashtriya Rifles units, three infantry battalions of the Territorial Army, two ecological battalions of the Territorial Army and two battalions of Arunachal Scouts. Three battalions of the regiment also acquitted themselves admirably at Siachen.

The regiment has the unique distinction of winning six battle honours and theatre honour of Myanmar during World War II 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.

Post-Independence, the regiment participated in all the wars against Pakistan and China. The soldiers of the regiment were inducted in the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka and UN Peace Keeping Force in Cambodia.