Assam Rifles personnel during a parade

Guwahati, Jan. 7: If 2004 was an eminently forgettable year for the Assam Rifles, the paramilitary force is poised to turn things around in the New Year by aggressively promoting itself as a ?friend of the hills people?.

The force has roped in a non-government organisation ? the Institute of Environmental Management and Social Development ? to assist it in its image-building exercise.

An Assam Rifles officer said the exercise would involve strategies to enhance the role of the force as a ?catalyst for holistic development of the region?.

The death of a woman named Thangjam Manorama in Assam Rifles? custody last year ? she was allegedly raped before being shot ? was the trigger for the agitation that continues in Manipur till this day.

The Assam Rifles was virtually forced to vacate Imphal?s historical Kangla Fort in a hurry following the upheaval.

The officer, however, insisted the paramilitary force had always been a friend to the people of the Northeast. ?We are a part of the Northeast and have always been actively involved in the development of the region. Now we want to involve the people in our effort,? he said.

The Institute of Environmental Management and Social Development has organised a series of workshops and interactive programmes for officers of the Assam Rifles and villagers residing in the vicinity of paramilitary bases.

Its executive director Ashish Chopra said the purpose of the exercise was to make the officers of the country?s oldest paramilitary force aware of their social responsibilities and enlighten the villagers about the organisation?s role in the development of the region.

The North Eastern Council, too, is assisting the exercise.

?The Assam Rifles has done a lot of social work which, to a large extent, has been unrecognised and misunderstood. Most of the time these roles are taken for granted. Therefore, the outlook needs to be changed,? Chopra said.

The Institute of Environmental Management and Social Development recently organised a seminar for officers and teachers of Assam Rifles-aided schools in Shillong.