CHENNAI: On this day, in 1959 ten Central Reserve Police Force policemen laid down their lives defending our motherland at Hot Springs (near Ladakh), during an unsuspecting ambush by heavily armed Chinese troops, who had intruded upon Indian territory.
In remembrance, October 21 is observed as Police Commemoration Day throughout India, to commemorate the martyrdom of police personnel. On the sixtieth anniversary of this solemn incident, it is our duty to recollect the extreme sacrifices made by our brethren across the length and breadth of the country.
Since independence about 33,000 police personnel have lost their lives in the discharge of their duties. This year alone, 414 brave policemen across the country have sacrificed their lives at the altar of ‘duty’. This includes an inspector from Tamil Nadu who lost his life in an operation to nab an inter-State criminal from Rajasthan and a young police constable who tried to stop sand smuggling.
As citizens of this nation, we must pause for a moment, to recollect the sacrifices made by those valiant police personnel who have died for the sake of the nation and our peaceful living, and to pay our homage to them.
Over the years, many of our brave personnel in Tamil Nadu have given their lives while defending the nation’s security from the banned anti-national organisations like Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Tamil Nadu Liberation Army (TNLA), Naxalites and Muslim Fundamentalist organisations, like Al-Umma.
The assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi by LTTE and the subsequent operations against them has also claimed many police lives. The saga of sacrifices made by Tamil Nadu police personnel over a few decades, in preventing the sandalwood smuggling, and eliminating the dreaded forest brigand, Veerappan, will remain forever in our memories.
Policemen also lay down their lives even while maintaining day-to-day law and order and public order.
Our Martyrs’ list has many police personnel who lost their lives in maintaining order during the anti-Hindi agitations, caste and communal riots, agrarian riots and riots inside prisons.
Beyond the collective interests of national security and public order, many police personnel have laid down their lives during rescue operations and while going beyond the call of their duty.
There are instances where police personnel have sacrificed their lives, to save an on-looker from a raging bull at jallikattu festival and snatching the rifle from a private security guard who lost his mental balance and started shooting at the public.
The government, which has always given importance to the safety and security of the people, is fully conscious of the sacrifices of police personnel in their line of duty and has always recognised them in a befitting manner by awarding medals.
Though their loss of lives cannot be compensated, the government has always endeavoured to do the best possible assistance to the martyrs’ families, by various measures like, progressively increasing the ex-gratia paid to them and offering employment to their next of kin.
However, their sacrifices certainly deserve the respectful remembrance and homage from society and the nation as a whole.
In conclusion, it would be appropriate to note an interesting inscription in a memorial stone at Hot Springs where members from all police forces pay homage in August/ September - “When you go home tell them of us and tell them we gave our today for their tomorrow”.