SASHASTRA SEEMA BAL

SASHASTRA SEEMA BAL

Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) or ‘Armed Border Force’ is a border guarding force under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs. SSB was set up in early 1963 in the wake of the Indo-China conflict to inculcate feelings of national belonging in the border population and develop their capabilities for resistance through a continuous process of motivation, training, development, welfare programmes and activities in the then North Eastern Frontiers of Assam, North Assam, North Bengal, hills of Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh. It was later extended to Manipur, Tripura, Jammu (1965), Meghalaya (1975), Sikkim (1976), border areas of Rajasthan and Gujarat (1989), Manipur, Mizoram and some more areas of Rajasthan and Gujarat (1988), South Bengal, Nagaland (1989) and Nubra Valley, Rajouri and Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir (1991). SSB endeavoured to present a benign face of the government among border populace in the far flung and inaccessible areas subscribing to the ethos of Service, Security and Brotherhood. SSB was declared as a border guarding force and lead intelligence agency (LIA) for Indo-Nepal border (January, 2001) and assigned the task of guarding the 1751 kms long Indo-Nepal border. Its emblem depicts golden wreath encircling the acronym ‘SSB’ also in gold, atop which is the coveted Ashoka lion pillar. Beneath, in a gold bordered dark blue coloured banner, is emblazoned the motto of this force ‘सेवा सुरक्ष बन्धुत्व’ meaning ‘Service, Security, Brotherhood’. Incidentally, the AK-47 is the main personal weapon of this force.