Home Guards Deployment Under Review for China Border: MHA

Fast Summary

• The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is considering raising Border Wing Home Guards (BWHGs) along the China-India border, modeled on similar guards deployed near the Pakistan border.
• BWHGs are voluntary forces recruited from civilians living in border regions to assist the Army and other security forces during emergencies. Currently, thay operate only in Rajasthan, with 2,279 personnel active in the state.
• Training and financial support are partially subsidized by the Government of India, paying ₹800-₹900 per day comparable to a Constable’s salary.
• In Rajasthan’s Operation Sindoor, BWHGs successfully managed tasks including intelligence distribution among local populations.
• The MHA plans to strengthen BWHG engagement alongside Indo-tibetan Border Police (ITBP), which monitors India’s 3,488 km-long border with China.
• this initiative follows heightened tensions since June 2020 when violent clashes at Ladakh’s Line of Actual Control killed 20 Indian personnel. As then, buffer zones have emerged across 26 patrolling points out of Eastern Ladakh’s total 65 points.

Image: File picture showing Army soldiers walking near Zojila mountain pass that connects Srinagar to Ladakh | Photo Credit: AFP

Indian Opinion analysis

The decision to raise Border Wing Home Guards reflects a strategic focus on leveraging local civilian participation for bolstering security along borders shared with China-a necessity given recent tensions such as those witnessed during violent clashes in Ladakh in June 2020. These voluntary units could offer critical logistical and intelligence support while complementing India’s existing military presence.

Operational success seen during initiatives like rajasthan’s Operation Sindoor suggests that integrating communities into national defense can enhance coordination amidst sensitive geopolitical concerns such as disputed territories or patrol agreements turning buffer zones. Though, scaling these efforts nationwide will necessitate robust policy arrangements-notably defining roles clearly and managing sustainable funding mechanisms.

Such measures not only strengthen tactical preparedness but also foster collaborative frameworks between government forces and civilians living near vulnerable borders-a potentially impactful model for securing long frontiers like India-China’s Line of Actual Control.

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