ITBP: The Himveers

By Kartik Lokhande
Valour, Steadfastness, and Commitment. These three words form the motto of Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), a specialised mountain force guarding the most arduous of the borders of India. And, after 53 years, the ITBP has lived up to this motto and has evolved in one of the best-trained force.
Raised on October 24, 1962, ITBP with four Battalions in the wake of Chinese aggression, the force was given the task of guerilla warfare, frontier intelligence and security along the Indo-Tibetan border. Presently, ITBP Battalions are deployed on border guarding duties from Karakoram Pass (between Siachen Glacier and Aksai Chin) at an altitude of over 18,000 feet in Ladakh to Jachep La in Arunachal Pradesh, covering 3,488 KM of Indo-China border, manning Border Out Posts. As its personnel guard at these towering heights in extreme cold, they have earned the sobriquet of ‘the Himveers’.

Rajiv Gandhi, the then Prime Minister presenting colours to ITBP on June 20, 1987

 In accordance with ‘One Border, One Force’ principle, the entire 3,488 KM stretch of Indo-China border has been assigned to ITBP for border guarding duty. Accordingly, in 2004-05, ITBP replaced Assam Rifles in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh in the North-East. At present, ITBP mans 168 Border Out Posts, of which 63 are located at altitudes between 12,000 and 15,000 feet and 30 Border Out Posts are located at altitudes above 15,000 feet from sea level.
The border posts manned by the mountain-trained force of ITBP are exposed to high-velocity storms, snow blizzards, avalanches, and landslides, besides the hazards of high-altitude and extreme cold, where temperature dips up to minus-40 degrees Celsius. In such inhospitable conditions also, ITBP conducts Long Range and Short Range patrols to keep an effective vigil on inaccessible and unmanned areas on the border. To maintain optimum operational efficiency of troops, periodical tactical exercises are conducted independently as well as jointly with Army.

Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister, had paid a visit to ITBP base and interacted with the officers and personnel to boost their morale.

Over the years, ITBP has been given additional responsibilities of counter insurgency operations, internal security, VIP security duties at Chamba-Doda border, in strategic locations, and with VIPs in Delhi and Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir etc. ITBP Battalions are deployed in Rajnandgaon district of Chhattisgarh for assisting the State Government in combating Maoists, who were described as the biggest internal security challenge faced by the country.
“The core of our mandate is the security of our international border in the most uncongenial and difficult conditions in the greater Himalayas. In addition, we have also been deployed to counter naxal activities, internal security challenges, and security duties in high-profile locations. Our role in providing rescue and relief during natural disasters in Himalayan states has been widely appreciated. Besides providing inclusive security, our men have earned accolades for our sterling performance in the UN and Indian Missions abroad. The resolute zeal and dedication of Himveers has always been exemplary,” says a proud Krishna Chaudhary, Director General of ITBP.

Krishna Chaudhary, the present Director General of ITBP (second from right), during a recent visit to Naxal-affected area, along with senior officers of the force.

Of course, multifarious roles saw a gradual increase in number of Battalions of ITBP. At present, ITBP has five Frontier Head Quarters, 16 Sector Head Quarters, 56 Service Battalions, four Specialist Battalions, 17 Training Centres, and four Logistics establishments with a total strength of approximately 90,000 personnel, informs Vivek Pande, Deputy Commandant, ITBP.
Rajiv Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, presented colours to ITBP at a presentation parade on June 20, 1987. Apart from its border guarding duties at high altitudes in the extreme cold of the Himalayan region, and other duties, ITBP has displayed its discipline in the Republic Day parades also. ITBP created a history by becoming the first Central Para Military Force to receive the honour of winning the Best Marching Contingent Trophy in Republic Day parades in the years 1998, 1999, 2004, and 2011. In 1998, it sent the first-ever police tableau of India to participate in Republic Day parade.
Over the years, it has evolved as an important force respected not only in India but also in other countries. It stands true to its motto -- Valour, Steadfastness, Commitment.

The first responder to disasters in Himalayas
Responding to the challenges identified over the years, two Battalions of ITBP have been dedicated as Disaster Management Battalions and placed under National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
Being the first responder to disasters in Himalayan region, ITBP was the first to establish Regional Response Centres (RRC) in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. Interestingly, with its expertise, ITBP has evolved into a training force also. It has established a National Centre for Training in Search, Rescue and Disaster Response at Bhanu in Haryana, to impart disaster management training to personnel of ITBP as well as other para-military and State police forces. Already, ITBP has trained 1,032 personnel in disaster management including 98 personnel in radiological and chemical/biological emergencies.
ITBP provides security to pilgrims during annual Yatra to Kailash Mansarovar (in Tibet) since 1981. ITBP provides communication, security and medical cover to the pilgrims from Gunji to Lipulekh Pass and back to Gunji in co-ordination with Ministry of External Affairs, and Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam.

A force of professionally trained mountaineers and skiers
Interestingly, ITBP is a ‘mountain-trained’ force. Most of its officers and men are professionally trained mountaineers and skiers. They have to their credit scaling more than 150 Himalayan peaks including Mt Everest four times. Also, ITBP mountaineers have successfully climbed peaks in Nepal, Iran, Japan, South America, and Europe. ITBP skiers have been National champions and have participated in Winter Olympics. ITBP personnel have participated in adventure sports like water rafting through turbulent and mighty waters of Brahmaputra, Indus, and Ganga and have international achievements to their credit in this field.

The international role
ITBP has also excelled in United Nations (UN) Peace-keeping operations. Since November 2005, an ITBP contingent is deployed at Democratic Republic of Congo to assist the UN Mission in maintaining peace and tranquility there. The personnel of ITBP had been deployed for peace-keeping operations in Angola, Namibia, Cambodia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Mozambique, and Kosovo. Besides, ITBP commandos are deployed in Afghanistan for security of the Indian Embassy in Kabul and Indian consulates in Herat, Jalalabad, Mazar-e-Sharif, and Kandahar.

(24-10-15)