POLICE COMMEMORATION DAY

BY: SAFDAR HAMID HASSAN SAMOON

India observes October 21st each year as Police Commemoration Dayto honor Police personnel who have laiddown their livesin the line of duty.Across the country, Police forces hold a commemoration parade or present a Guardof Honor at PoliceMemorials.A state/CAPF-wiselist of personnel whohavegiven the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty during the year is read out and awreath-layingceremonyisheld.

SUPREMESACRIFICE

This observance was first held to commemorate the heroism of PolicepersonnelkilledinactionagainstthePLAonOctober1959atHotSprings,Ladakh, a remote border post on the Sino-Indian frontier. In the past 63 years, theblood of more than 35000 Police heroes has mingled with the soil in every cornerof India- not just in Himalayan heights but in Metropolitan areas, remote hamlets,hot, deserts, tropical jungles and riverine terrain. Christian, Sikh, Muslim, andHindu, the men and women in secular khaki have made the supreme sacrifice,combated militants, dreaded mafias, dangerous criminals, and violent mobs whileprotecting vulnerable personnel or premises. This is way beyond the call of dutydemanded inanyotherprofession

“Hot Springs” is not just a place but an epitaph of exemplary braverydisplayed by the Indian Police and their supreme sacrifice while protecting theterritorial integrity of the country under extreme geo-climatic conditions. On thefateful day of Oct. 21, 1959, 10 valiant Police personnel laid down their livesfighting at 16,000 ft altitude, in extremely cold conditions and against all odds, inunequalcombatwithheavilyarmedChinesetroops atHotSpringsinLadakh.

HISTORYOFMARTYR’SDAY

 On October 20, 1959, three reconnaissance parties werelaunchedfrom Hot Springs in North Eastern Ladakh. This was in preparation for furthermovement of an Indian expedition which was on its way toLanka La. Whilemembers of two parties returned to Hot Springs by the afternoon of that day, thethirdonecomprisingtwoPoliceConstablesandaPorterdidnotreturn.Allavailable personnel were mobilized early the next morning in search of the missingpersonnel. This team was led by DSP / DCIO Shri Karam Singh. At about midday,Chinese Army personnel were seen on a hillock who opened fire and throwinggrenades at the party led by Shri Karam Singh. Since there was no cover, mostpersonnel were injured. Ten of our brave Police Personnel attained martyrdom andseven others sustained injuries. The seven injured were taken prisoners by theChinese.BodiesofthetenpersonnelwerereturnedbytheChineseonlyonNovember 13,1959,afull threeweeksafter theincident.ThesebodieswerecrematedwithfullPolicehonorsatHotSprings.TheAnnualConferenceofInspectors General of Police of States and Union Territories held in January 1960decidedthat October 21 wouldhenceforth beobservedas“CommemorationDay” / “Martyr’s Day”.It was also decided to erect a memorial at Hot Springsand every year members of Police Forces from different parts of the country trek toHotSpringstopayhomagetothosegallantmartyrs.

HOTSPRINGSMARTYR’SMEMORIAL

Every year a pilgrimage tour of the all-India Police party with membersrepresenting various states and Central Police Forces to Hot Springs is undertaken.TheobjectiveistopayhomagetothetenvaliantPolicepersonnelwholaiddown

theirliveswhileprotectingtheterritorial integrityofourcountry.Theincidentisrememberedandobservedas Police CommemorationDayacross thecountry.

NATIONALPOLICEMEMORIAL

A National Police Memorial at Chanakyapuri, New Delhi stands as atestimony of the sacrifices made by countless policemen in theperformance oftheir duty. The Memorial gives police Forces a sense of national identity, pride,unity of purpose, common history and destiny. “The Wall of Valour” – 30 feet tallgranite sculpture stands at the police memorial with the names of over 35000martyrswho sacrificed their livesin thelineof duty and remindsthem of theirvalour andglory.

Area:6.3Acres

Museum: 1,600SqMParadeGround:1,600SqM

CentralSculpture:30ft x8ft x8ft”TheWallof Valour”–30feettall

Location:27,KautilyaMarg,DiplomaticEnclave,Chanakyapuri,NewDelhi,Delhi110011

NATIONALPOLICEMUSEUM

On the morning of October 21, 2018, Shri Narendra Modi Hon’blePrime Minister of India, dedicated the National Police Memorial to the nation andalso paid homage to more than 35000 Police Martyrs, who have since the dawn ofIndependence,madethesupremesacrificewhiledefendingordinarycitizensfrom

anti-social elements and safeguarding the Unity and Integrity of the country frommilitants,extremistsandterroristsofvarioushues.

Once the ceremony got over, the Hon’ble Prime Minister stepped into the40x40 meters basements right below the National Police Memorial to inauguratethe National Police Museum. The inauguration of the National Police Museum is amemorable event in the annals of the Indian Police because it is for the first timethat the long-cherished dream of establishing a national level repository of oldphotographs,artefactsandmemorabilia associated with thelong,eventful andglorioushistoryofIndianPolicehascometo fruition.

HOWTHEBRAVEHEARTSAREHONOUREDONMARTYR’SDAY

The arms are reversed (Shok Shastra) and two minutes of silence isobserved in honor of the departed souls. The names of police martyrs of states,police and paramilitary forces are read out, to acknowledge with pride the supremesacrifices made by them. Three volleys of shots are fired as a mark of respect forthemartyrs.

JAMMUANDKASHMIRPOLICE:-

 ThehistoryofJ&KPolicehasbeenasagaofindomitablecourage,unflinching devotion to duty and supreme sacrifice by its officers and men.JKPhasalwaysbeenattheforefrontofthenationalstruggletodefendtheintegrity of India.

Duringturbulent times,onerousresponsibilitieshavebeenput  onJ&KPolice.Afterindependence,PakistanwasnevertiredoffomentingsocialunrestinKashmirandmadedesperateeffortstowrestcontrolofthestatefromIndia.InitsfutilebidforgrabbingKashmir,itlaunchedtwofull-scalewarsagainstIndiain1965and1971respectively.Onboththeseoccasions,theservicesofJammuandKashmirPoliceintidingthroughturbulenceandturmoilarerememberedwithhonorsandadmiration.Manyboldofficersandjawansrenderedselflessservicetothepeopleandsocietyandevensacrificedtheirlivesinkeepingwiththenobleandvaliant traditionsoftheJammuandKashmirPolice.

The year 1989 may be taken as the annus mirabilis in the history of theevolutionof the Jammu and Kashmir Police. Call it by whatever name you will,but terror in all its nakedness was launched by Pakistan which resorted “to bleedIndia white” by “thousands of cuts”. As a part of the geopolitical strategy, PakistanstartedsendingarmedterroriststoKashmirtosubvertthedemocraticinstitutionsof the state and to destabilize its government by killing prominent politicians,bureaucrats,andintellectuals.Takingfulladvantageofthevastchunkofunemployed youth and the rampant backwardness and illiteracy of the masses, theperpetrators of terror found the right kind of ground for whipping up communalpassions of the people to promote and strengthen the feelings of secessionism andseparatism. All political activities in the state came to a standstill. The entire Valleydrowned in grief and despair and groaned under the onslaught of terror. Educationof children got disrupted, business and trade got a severe jolt, tourism nose-dived,the safety and security of people became uncertain and, bridges and schools wereset afire. In short, the entire fabric of civic life was disturbed. In these turbulenttimes, the state police took up the challenge to confront the enemy with courage,fortitude and resolveand jumpedintothefraywithall itsmight.

JKPsalutesthememoryofitsgallantmen with pride,thosemen whopersonified the will of the Force and sacrificed their lives while demonstrating anunquestioning dedication to duty, those men who fell beside their comrades in thefightagainstterrortopreservethesovereigntyandterritorialintegrityofthecountry and those men who furthered the noble ideal of “service before self” at thecost of their lives. J&K Police is proud that these men of substance, without caringfor their safety, security, convenience or comfort came forward to fight valiantlyandvanishedtoyonderhorizonwherealloftheirkindsshinelikestars,

beckoning their comradesto continue to tread in their footsteps so thatgoodalwaystriumphsoverevil.Themartyrshaveconferredupontheentireorganizationahaloofinvincibility,imperturbability,honoranddignity.

In the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, there are two main Police MartyrsMemorials erected in memory of fallen heroes of J&K Police. However, there areseparate Police Martyrsmemorials erected in every District of the UT inmemoryofPoliceMartyrs of the District:-

PoliceMartyrsMemorial,Jammu.           PoliceMartyrsMemorial,Srinagar.

In recognition of the martyrdom and supreme sacrifice of Martyrs of theJ&KPolice,theJ&KGovt.inahistoricdecisionnamedatotalof132schools/colleges and roads across Jammu and Kashmir after the martyrs of Jammuand Kashmir Police. The union territory Administration had announced the namingof 199schools/collegesandroadsbythenamesof eminentpersonalitiesandmartyred Heroes in Uniform as a mark of respect and acknowledgement of theexceptional contributions towards the security and development of the UT. As perthe order, two schools have been named after martyred Deputy Superintendents,oneaftermartyredInspector,eightaftermartyredSubInspectors,fouraftermartyred ASIs, seven after martyred Head Constables, 21 after martyred SgCts, 47after martyred constables, three after martyred followers, and 41 after martyredSpecial Police Officers (SPOs) who laid down their lives while protecting andsafeguardingtheinterestsofthepeople.

Director General Police (DGP) Jammu and Kashmir Shri Dilbag Singh saidthat “it is a wonderful initiative by the government which would serve as a moralebooster for the forces fighting terrorism here. Through this initiative, the schoolchildrenwouldlearnaboutthesupremesacrificesofthemartyrs.Itwouldimmortalizethebraveheartswhosacrificedtheirliveswhileprotectingthesovereignty and integrity of the Nation”. He further added that the initiative wouldgive a special feeling to the family members of the martyrs and would act as aneverlasting tributetothemartyrs.

Since1990,atleast516SPOsand1088personnelofdifferent ranks have laid their lives in the line of duty. In recognition of the greatservices rendered by J&K police, the successive Governments at the Union /Statelevel have recognized the Valour and supreme services of officers/Jawans ofthis celebrated and highly decorated police force. J&K Police ranks first in thecountry in the tally of Gallantry Medals bestowed upon it, the details of which areas follows:-

The breakup of Jammu & Kashmir Police officials who have laid down their lives in the line of duty so far since1989

The breakup of Gallantry Medal sconferred upon Jammu&Kashmir Police members so far since 1989

 CONCLUSION

 Aswecommemoratethe63^rdyearofthecourse-changingsagaofsupremesacrificeat Hot Springs, we must remain proud of the fact that the nation adores its heroeswho have made the supreme sacrifice. There is and will never be any dearth ofcourageousmenandwomeninuniform.

JaiHind!

Other View