Eastern Frontier Rifles
Encyclopedia
The Eastern Frontier Rifles (EFR) are the State Armed Police Force for West Bengal
in the West Bengal Police
jurisdiction (i.e. as opposed to the Kolkata
jurisdiction). They are part of the West Bengal Police
.
Border Guards Bangladesh are descended from the portion of the Eastern Frontier Rifles given to Pakistan on partition in 1947
.
The Eastern Frontier Rifles were founded as the Frontier Protection Force by the East India Company
at some point in the second half of the eighteenth century, and have had their current title since 1920. The Eastern Frontier Rifles fought in the Second World War, and, as the Bengal Military Police
, in the First World War.
In 1947, when India and Pakistan became independent, the force was split between the Indian state of West Bengal
, and Pakistan
. The Pakistani part became the East Pakistan Rifles, which became the Bangladesh Rifles when Bangladesh became independent, and Border Guards Bangladesh in 2010. The West Bengal part retained its title of Eastern Frontier Rifles.
.
Like the armed police forces of many states, the EFR are currently challenged with the naxalite
insurgency. In February 2010 an EFR camp called Silda was attacked and burnt down by maoist rebels, resulting in 24 riflemen killed out of a detachment of about fifty. This resulted in condemnation of the state government by the EFR Special Inspector General, Benoy Chakraborty, who claimed his force was "mis-used" and "ill-treated". Morale in the force is believed to be low.
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
in the West Bengal Police
West Bengal Police
The West Bengal Police is one of the two police forces of the Indian state of West Bengal....
jurisdiction (i.e. as opposed to the Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
jurisdiction). They are part of the West Bengal Police
West Bengal Police
The West Bengal Police is one of the two police forces of the Indian state of West Bengal....
.
Border Guards Bangladesh are descended from the portion of the Eastern Frontier Rifles given to Pakistan on partition in 1947
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
.
The Eastern Frontier Rifles were founded as the Frontier Protection Force by the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
at some point in the second half of the eighteenth century, and have had their current title since 1920. The Eastern Frontier Rifles fought in the Second World War, and, as the Bengal Military Police
Bengal Military Police
Bengal Military Police was the title of two different units at different times:*The Bengal Military Police, 1856-63, subsequently 45th Rattray's Sikhs*The Bengal Military Police, 1891-1920, subsequently Eastern Frontier Rifles...
, in the First World War.
In 1947, when India and Pakistan became independent, the force was split between the Indian state of West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. The Pakistani part became the East Pakistan Rifles, which became the Bangladesh Rifles when Bangladesh became independent, and Border Guards Bangladesh in 2010. The West Bengal part retained its title of Eastern Frontier Rifles.
History
- 18th century: Founded as Frontier Protection Force.
- 1795: Renamed Ramgarh Local Battalion
- 1861: Renamed Frontier Guards
- 1891: Renamed Bengal Military Police, modernised, & given up-to-date weaponry (NB: An unrelated unit, the 45th Sikhs, had previously used this same title)
- 1920: Reorganised and renamed Eastern Frontier Rifles
- 1947: Split between West Bengal and Pakistan. The West Bengal portion retained the unit title
Recent events
Many contingents of EFR are kept deployed in various disturbed areas of the state. However, in recent years the force has used for day-to-day law & order duties. The headquarter of EFR at Salua, near KharagpurKharagpur
Kharagpur is an industrial city in India. It is located in the Midnapore West district of the state of West Bengal.Kharagpur was chosen as the location of the first campus of the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology . The IITs are the premier technical education institutes in India and...
.
Like the armed police forces of many states, the EFR are currently challenged with the naxalite
Naxalite
The word Naxal, Naxalite or Naksalvadi is a generic term used to refer to various militant Communist groups operating in different parts of India under different organizational envelopes...
insurgency. In February 2010 an EFR camp called Silda was attacked and burnt down by maoist rebels, resulting in 24 riflemen killed out of a detachment of about fifty. This resulted in condemnation of the state government by the EFR Special Inspector General, Benoy Chakraborty, who claimed his force was "mis-used" and "ill-treated". Morale in the force is believed to be low.