Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBPF) was raised on 24th October 1962 after the Indo-China conflict to guard the northern borders of the country. Incredible though it may appear, ITBP which took off as a micro outfit with just 4 battalions has grown to gigantic proportions with 45 service battalions and 4 specialized battalions. This month the Force enters golden jubilee year of its formation. The raison d’etre of the ITB Police is guarding and policing the Indo-Tibet Border, providing a sense of security to the border populace, VIP security and internal security duties, disaster management etc.
A solid 3488 km of staggering mountains with an astounding variety of shaky heights ranging between 9000 to 18700 feet from mean sea level (MSL), chilly locales where mercury plummets to 45 degree C below zero, bottomless gorges, enchanting ravines, tempestuous rivers, perfidious glaciers, craggy steeps, lurking natural hazards-that is the typical theatre of operation ITBP men and officers spend a lion share of their services career in. It extends from Karakorum pass (old trade route to Tibet in J&K) to Diphu La in Arunachal Pradesh.
ITBP Ethos
ITBPF ethos are succinctly expressed in its logo i.e. chivalry, steadfastness commitment. An ITBPean is true to his salt, steadfast in duty, and undeterred by adverse conditions, man-made, or nature-made. His creed: improvisation and maximum utilisation of resources at hand.
Role of the Force
The Force saw action in the Indo-Pak conflicts in 1965. It fought the enemy away from the designated theatre of a war, conducted combing operation to annihilate Pakistani infiltrators and paratroopers and guarded vital installations. In the 1971 war, two of its battalions performed the special tasks of sealing certain areas/gaps detection and destruction of infiltrators’ bases in the Srinagar valley and Poonch sector, a maiden mission which earned plaudit.
National imperatives in 1978 redefined the Force’s role and what followed was a change in its basic nature. Multifarious tasks were handed over to it making it a multi dimensional force.
ITBP protects the IB in its area of responsibility, joins them in controlling trans-border crime and intelligence collection, interrogates smugglers and infiltrators and conducts joint patrolling along the international border/LAC. ITBPF functions in close synchronisation with army in sensitive areas. In peace time, it attunes and gears itself professionally to meet the real challenges as and when they are put to face.
ITBP has made an epoch making entry into the North-East as it was assigned the responsibility of the Eastern Sector of Indo-China Borders in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, in 2003 in pursuance to GOM’s recommendation, i.e. ‘One Border, One Force.’
The borders guarding duties in the Eastern sector is more challenging and harsh than in the western and middle due to scanty road connectivity. Apart from border guarding, the Force is also performing Internal security duties in the north eastern states. ITBP has its forward posts much ahead of the other Forces, in higher altitudes. ITBP personnel have to constantly fight against blizzards, avalanches, and land-slides.
Additional Responsibilities
Till 1982, this Force kept its activities confined to the Himalayas, but sensing the pulse of the time and setting the sights high, the personnel of this force were also trained and suitably equipped to take on other challenges as well. The ITBPF performed the most delicate yet high risk security duties during the ASIAD 1982 wherein its personnel were engaged in providing fool proof security cover to the various stadia, contingents of different countries as well as Games village Complex and to various VVIPs.
Training Personnel for Tough Tasks
By virtue of the role assigned to this Force at initial stages, the area of its activities remained in the wild and vertical world of the Himalayas where mighty forces of the nature rule supreme. Though policing the frontier against the hostile elements from across the border was not much of the problem with adequate training to the personal, but the most challenging task was to survive in such inhospitable places.
Accordingly, before deployment to the higher reaches of Himalayas, the force personnel are given extensive training in rock climbing, mountaineering and mountain warfare with more thrust towards guerrilla operations to make them highly proficient soldiers.
HAMTS
High Altitude Medical Training School (HAMTS) was conceptualised and formally inaugurated at Leh on 17th July 2009. The main idea was to train paramedics in the diagnosis and management of various high altitude ailments and diseases and their management. ITBP being a paramilitary force deployed at high attitudes in large numbers, it was considered very pertinent and apt to have a training centre which would impart practical training to paramedics and doctors in diagnosis, treatment and management of high attitude ailments and update them on the various equipments available and the use thereof. High altitude medicines as such is not covered in the MBBS curriculum in India as a result of which even doctors are not aware of the various high altitude ailments and may at times find themselves in a difficult situation when asked to treat such patients in high altitude forward posts. Since its inception in July 2009, two main courses run by HAMTS are: Basic HA course for medics – 2 week duration; and Induction course for medical officers – 1 week duration
Till date eight batches of basic high altitude course for medics and 3 induction courses for medical officers have been completed, with a total strength of 193 trainees trained so far. Till recently this institute was being run by pooling the resources from the available Bns, whether in the form of trainers, medical officers or infrastructure etc. But with the formal sanction of dedicated staff for this training institute now, one can look forward to a very ambitious expansion plan in the future. This institute is the only of its kind in our country and the first one to help train doctors and paramedics in high altitude maladies.
A Welfare Face
Spending better part of their service career in intractable Himalayan heights at the mercy of stark elements and away from family takes its toll. The Force shares the concerns of the jawans and ensures they do not lose their sleep over them. Battalions are rotated from hard to soft medical check ups, speedy evacuation and a good tide-up with Army hospitals helps, jawans’ families can avail medical aid from nearby ITBP units.
Civic Action Programs
To provide a sense of security to the border population and win there hearts and minds, ITBPF construct/repairs roads and bridges in remote border areas, help them at times of natural disaster and run medical and veterinary camps. Throughout its place of deployment, ITBPF maintains a cordial relationship with the local a benevolent force to the border populace.
ITBP has launched a massive programme to develop villages in the remote and inaccessible areas of the Indo-China border for undertaking essential development activities and extending basic medical amenities. ITBP is involved in diverse areas such as public hygiene and sanitation, adult and child education, setting up of periodic medical camps, addressing problems of drinking water, electrification and building basic structure with ‘shramadan’ and support of the local official.
ITBP has opened many rural telephone exchanges in Ladakh and many of its forwards posts are interconnected with satellite telephones. The ITBP personal as well as the local population of the area can avail this facility at nominal rates. During landslides and flash floods in Leh last year, ITBP was among the first who came forward for rescue and rehabilitation work in the affected areas. It set up relief camps and make shift medical camps to provide succour to those in distress. ITBP’s effort earned the praise of locals in these endeavours.
Sports
ITBP personnel have also excelled in various sports. The Force is a byword for international mountaineering. It has hoisted the Indian tricolour atop more than 165 world- class mountains including Everest (5 times) and Kanchenjunga. India’s highest peak, Nanda Devi, Mount Kamet in the Himalayas and those in the Alps, Iran and USA also figure in the list. The crowning glory was achieved by the Force when it created history by putting 8 climbers including one lady police officer atop Mount Everest on 10th and 12th May 1992.
Skiing is its forte. National Champions for years, ITBP recorded the first ever ski down from Kamet peak in 1981. Earlier ITBP skiers had skied down from Trushul (23360 ft.) in May 1997 and Kedar Dome (24410 ft.) in April 1978. Regaining National Champions in Skiing, ITBP has defended the title several times and has represented India twice in the Winter Olympics Games and Asian Winter Games.
River rafting is yet another field where ITBPeans have made their singular mark. They have negotiated a 1100 km long stretch of the ferocious white waters of the turbulent and mighty river Brahmputra in 1991 from Gelling in Arunachal Pradesh upto the border of Bangladesh. None had dared to achieve such a feat in the last 200 years. Its personnel also hold rare distinction of being part of scientific expedition to Antarctica. Each year, ITBP trains members of all scientific expedition to Antarctica.
*Inputs from Ministry of Home Affairs
