Manipur’s indigenous dog breed Tangkhul Hui, also known as Haofa, has been inducted into the canine squads of the Assam Rifles as part of the Centre’s Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign.
The induction follows a directive issued last year by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), mandating all Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) to include at least two Indian dog breeds in their canine units. The initiative was conceptualised by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to promote indigenous breeds and enhance self-reliance.
The Assam Rifles, a paramilitary force tasked with border security, counter-insurgency operations, and maintenance of law and order in the Northeast and Jammu and Kashmir, has so far trained and inducted six Tangkhul Hui dogs into its force, according to sources.
“The Tangkhul Hui breed was inducted into the dog squads of Assam Rifles as part of the directive from MHA issued last year asking all CAPFs to induct two Indian dog breeds. Till date, we have trained six dogs from the Manipur breed and inducted them into our force,” said Lt Col Alok Palei, Officer Commanding of the Assam Rifles Dog Training Centre in Jorhat, Assam.
He noted that the MHA directive aims to address challenges associated with foreign breeds, which are often prone to diseases and genetic issues and may not adapt well to diverse Indian climatic and geographical conditions. Indigenous breeds, he said, are generally more resilient and better suited for deployment across varied terrains.
Named after the Tangkhul Naga tribe of Manipur, the Tangkhul Hui is a domesticated hunting breed known for its disease resistance and adaptability. All six inducted dogs are currently deployed in narcotics detection roles.
In addition to the Tangkhul Hui, the Assam Rifles is in the process of inducting the Kombai breed, native to Tamil Nadu, as its second Indian breed under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. The new breed is scheduled for induction in April this year and will be introduced across all CAPFs as one of the mandated local breeds.
“At present, Assam Rifles has a parent stock of 10 Kombai dogs — two males and eight females — which will be inducted in April. While Assam Rifles has chosen Tangkhul Hui as its second local breed, other forces will select different Indian breeds,” Palei added.
The Assam Rifles has an authorised canine strength of 344 dogs, of which 253 are currently deployed. Over the years, its canine units have won more than 140 medals from the central government for excellence in tracking and detection of explosives and narcotics.
Once inducted, the dogs undergo 12 weeks of basic training followed by a 36-week advanced course. The force also has around 1,200 trained handlers, with 43 new recruits — including eight women — currently undergoing training at the Jorhat centre. Notably, the Assam Rifles now has women dog handlers, including a 25-year-old recruit from Kerala who became the first woman in the force to take up the role.
