Major Bob Khathing: A soldier and diplomat

TEZPUR: This is a story of an unsung hero — Major Ralengnao (Bob) Khathing — a Tangkhul Naga from Manipur. He was the first person of tribal origin to serve as an Ambassador for India and played a vital role in integrating Tawang with Union of India. Major Bob Khathing was born on February 8, 1912, in the Tangkhul Naga clan at Ukhrul in Manipur.

He was exceptionally savvy and was the only one in his community to pass the Sixth grade. Later, he became the first tribal from Manipur to graduate. During World War-II he became the first Manipuri to get King's Commission. He was commissioned into the 19th Hyderabad Regiment (later 7th KUMAON Regiment) and later served under then Major Thimmayya(Later Chief of Army Staff and Commander-in-Chief, Indian Army) at Regimental Training Centre, Agra.

Major Bob was soon posted for 'V-Force' Ops at Johrat as local Captain, Manipur sector to operate behind enemy lines on the Burma front. He effectively mobilised the Tangkhul youth and leaders as volunteer aides. With 5000 youth, he moved his HQ to Sunle in Kabaw Valley in South East Manipur, which was under under threat from Japanese forces. He organised an intelligence set-up, passing information of Japanese movements. He purportedly slew about 200 Japanese soldiers during his command in 1942-1944. He also faced a bullet when Japanese overran Shanshak and Ukhrul.

Major Bob Khathing operated in the battlefield at the front line and in just three years (1942-1945), he was awarded the prestigious Member of the British Empire (MBE) in December 1943 and received the Military Cross in August 1944 for valour, bravery and initiative. He was only 32 years old when he got the Military Cross, in 1947 he resigned from Army on insistence of his tribe and to work for their welfare.

Major Khathing joined the Interim Government of Manipur as a Minister in 1947. As The Maharaja of Manipur signed an Instrument of accession joining, he resigned as a Minister. Akbar Hydari, the first Governor of Assam, requested Maj Bob Khathing to join the Assam Rifles, where he served as an Assistant Commandant in 2nd Battalion Assam Rifles. On 15 August 1950, when the region was devastated by the Assam-Tibet earthquake, causing nearly 4800 casualties, he was involved in coordinating and carrying out rescue and rehabilitation efforts.

After China occupied Tibet in 1951, the Indian Government wanted to establish administrative outposts in key places with the backing of Assam Rifles to ensure Indian administration in the remote corners of India. Major Bob Khathing, who had joined Indian Frontier Administrative Services (IFAS) in Oct 1950, was Deputed to the Khameng Frontier Division of the then North East Frontier Agency(NEFA) in modern-day Arunachal Pradesh as Assistant Political Officer (APO), Sela by Governor of Assam. He was tasked to integrate Tawang and secure Indian administrative control up to the McMahon Line. On 17 January 1951, he marched towards Tawang from Lokhra with three platoons of 5th Assam Rifles.

They moved cross country. A few days after his arrival, he met the Dzongpens, the Commissioners from Tsona in Tibet and the village elders (Gaon Burahs). Bob walked to the place, while 100 riflemen encircled the ground. While soldiers were ready to battle in the event of an impasse in talks, APO Khathing used his diplomatic skills to win over the locals. On 11 Feb 1951, Major Bob made a courtesy call on the Abbot of the Tawang monastery and presented the monks with gifts, clothing and food. He requested for their assistance to influence the locals to accept the accession to the Union of India. He assured of no taxes and respectful treatment to women. The rural monks found Bob a better choice than the autocratic Dzongpens. Finally, he raised the Tricolor at Tawang on February 14, four years after Independence, thus integrating Tawang into the Union of India and building up Indian Administrative control of the town and territory of Bumla on the McMahon Line without firing a single bullet. A spot in Bomdila called "Khathing Point" is named after this valiant soldier. For more than a year, Bob continued as APO Sela. Then he took over as Political Officer of Kameng Division in April 1952 and shifted his Headquarters from Charduar (in Assam) to Bomdila.

During the peak period of Naga insurgency in the Naga Hills District of Assam and the Tuensang Division of NEFA, Major Bob Khathing was the sole in-charge of Tuensang Division. To quell the uprising, Indian Army moved in and Kohima became the centre of military operations. On Maj Bob's persistent requests, Tuensang Division was removed from NEFA and was directly administered by the Centre to assist in military operations. He further streamlined the civil and military operations by amalgamating Tuensang Division to Naga Hills. Later when Naga Hills ultimately became a full-fledged State of India on 01 December 1963, Tuensang became a part of Nagaland. It can be said quite rightly that Tuensang was a gift of Bob Khathing to Nagaland. He also contributed in the establishment of the Village Volunteer Force. After four years at the post, he was promoted as the first Deputy Commissioner of Mokokchung district.

The 1962, he was posted as the Development Commissioner of Sikkim but the tenure was short lived. It was followed by stints across various administrative positions in the Northeast as a member of the Indian Frontier Administrative Service (a civil service unit operating in northeast tribal frontier regions, soon merged with the IAS). Indo-China War broke out in 1961-62. Bob was appointed the Security Commissioner of NEFA and Chief Civil Liaison Officer with the Army 4 Corps stationed at Tezpur. He contributed immensely in the formation of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), a paramilitary force established following the 1962 War. Khathing became the Chief Secretary of Nagaland in 1967 and the Nagaland Armed Police and the Naga Regiment were established during his tenure. He also extended his services to IB for citing 12 ALG (Advanced Landing Grounds) for aiding forward policy.

Major Bob Khathing became the first Indian tribal to become an Ambassador when he was selected as the Indian Ambassador to Burma in 1972. He worked in Burma for three years and retired from service in 1975. He then served as the Advisor to the Governor of Manipur, on honorary basis as Chairman, Tribal Law Commission and Administrative Reforms Commission, as well as Chairman of Administrative Commission Nagaland and Chairman of the Administrative Commission, Nagaland.

He served as a member of the committee to finalise the 16-point agreement that led to the 1975 Shillong Accord and the formation of the State of Nagaland. He helped in bringing down the 'Bamboo Curtain' on the Military Junta in Myanmar. He successfully tackled the 800 km long Indo-Myanmar border issue discreetly, fairly and amicably with Burma.

For his varied services to the Nation, he was awarded the Padma Shri in 1957. This adroit, assiduous, determined war hero, clean humanitarian, administrator and dedicated teacher all rolled into one passed away on 12 January 1990. His work has created a long lasting impression and this country will always be in debt to this son of the soil, who remains a source of motivation for the generations to follow and his legacy lives on. (PIB Defence wing)

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