West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari announced the recruitment of more than 1,000 Gorkha youths into the Eastern Frontier Rifles, which Darjeeling MP Raju Bista said, was "Mamata Banerjee was trying to kill". So, what is the Eastern Frontier Rifles? Why does it have a special place in the Gorkha community?
West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari announced that 1,000 youths will be recruited for the Eastern Frontier Rifles. (Image: EFR/Facebook)
New Delhi, UPDATED: Jun 17, 2026 14:59 IST
The Eastern Frontier Rifles (EFR), the crown jewel of the Darjeeling Hills' Gorkha community that served in the World Wars and the 1971 War against Pakistan, is set to be infused with fresh blood. Just weeks after the BJP's historic victory in West Bengal, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has announced the recruitment of more than 1,000 Gorkha youths into the Eastern Frontier Rifles (EFR), which is a part of the West Bengal Police.
Adhikari's announcement, during his first visit to the Darjeeling hills, has political, historical and emotional importance in the North Bengal region, where the EFR is seen more than a force. The pre-Independence colonial-era force is associated with the Gorkha community.
The BJP, especially MP Raju Bista, had for years voiced for its revival. Bista in January alleged that then-Bengal CM "Mamata Banerjee was trying to kill it [EFR]". Now, after CM Adhikari's promise, Bista has framed the move as the revival of a force, which he said was neglected under Mamata's Trinamool Congress government.
The EFR has long occupied a unique place in the hills of northern Bengal. The specialised force that fought the Naxals, Chinese and Pakistanis, historically provided employment and status to generations of Gorkha families in Uttar Banga.
So, what exactly has Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari said on the revival of the EFR? How is he going to do that? Why does the BJP claim Mamata Banerjee was "trying to kill" the force? And, most importantly, what's special about the EFR?
SUVENDU'S PROMISE TO REVIVE BENGAL'S GORKHA FORCE
The development surrounding the Eastern Frontier Rifles (EFR) comes weeks after the BJP formed the government in Bengal.
While addressing a gathering in West Bengal's Kurseong on Tuesday, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced the recruitment of more than 1,000 Gorkha youths into the EFR.
"In the coming months, 1,000 youths will be recruited into the Eastern Frontier Rifles, and 30 per cent of the jobs will go to women," the Bengal CM said.
The announcement was immediately welcomed by BJP leaders in the hills.
"Most grateful to Honourable Chief Minister Sh Suvendu ji for announcing the recruitment of over 1000 Gorkha youths in Eastern Frontier Rifles and West Bengal Police," BJP's Darjeeling MP Raju Bista wrote on X on Tuesday.
"For the past many years, I have been working to revive the EFR, but the TMC government repeatedly stopped the proposal," Bista added.
Referring to the BJP's election promise, Bista said, "Honourable CM Suvendu ji had assured me, as soon as the BJP forms the government, we will revive EFR. Today, he has made this historic announcement from Kurseong".
Incidentally, the Minister of the Department of Home and Hill Affairs in West Bengal is CM Suvendu Adhikari. He is assisted by Bishal Lama, who serves as his deputy in these two departments. He represents the Kalchini assembly constituency in northern Bengal's Alipurduar district.
BJP CLAIMS MAMATA BANERJEE TRIED TO KILL EASTERN FRONTIER RIFLES
Unlike the demand for Gorkhaland, which has dominated headlines and political negotiations in northern Bengal, the future of the Eastern Frontier Rifles remained a quieter but significant political issue in the hills ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
In January 2026, Darjeeling BJP MP Raju Bista met representatives of the force and alleged that the then TMC government had neglected the institution.
"There has been no fresh recruitment conducted since 2010, despite over 2,000 Riflemen vacancies remaining unfilled," Bista wrote on X.
He further alleged, "Instead of modernising and strengthening this historic force, the Government of West Bengal has opted to merge three battalions into two". In January, calling the situation "deeply concerning", Bista alleged that the West Bengal Government was "trying to kill the force of such repute".
While the BJP said Mamata Banerjee government failed to protect institutions associated with the Gorkha community, the TMC consistently rejected the BJP accusations of neglecting the hills. It highlighted its own welfare and development initiatives in the region.
WHAT IS THE EASTERN FRONTIER RIFLES FORCE OF WEST BENGAL?
The Eastern Frontier Rifles traces its origins to a frontier protection force raised during the East India Company era. While its lineage stretches back to the 18th-century, it has carried the name Eastern Frontier Rifles since 1907.
The EFR is currently an armed unit under the West Bengal Police and is headquartered at Salua in West Midnapore's…
Read the full article at India Today →
India