India General Service Medal with Burma 1930-32 clasp. Burma Mounted Police.

Correctly named 5421 Sep Birjitman Rai. Res Bn. BMP

Awarded to the Reserve Battalion Burma Mounted Police.

The Burma Military Police was raised in 1886 to reduce the cost of controlling Upper Burma by replacing regular Indian army units. The first unit of the BMP was the Mogaung Levy in March 1886. The Mogaung Levy was a Gurkha unit and was later absorbed into the Bhamo Military Police battalion. In 1886, it had a strength of 500, declining to 262 in 1919. Initial forces of the BMP were raised from Punjab and Nepal, and recruited Punjabi, Indian, Assamese, Manipuri and Gurkha men. At the time, local ethnic groups in Burma were not allowed into the BMP as they were seen as unsuitable. However, the range of ethnic groups being recruited was expanded in 1909 when Chins became the first non-Indian ethnicity to join. The range now included Garhwali, Sikh, Rajput, Chin, Kareni and Burmese men. However, very few Burmese joined the BMP.