The history of CRPF is replete with instances of heroic deeds and acts of valour from the day of its inception. CRPF have grown from strength to strength with every such act. The Force from the point of view of its functions and activities has not only remained a Police Force for the mere purpose of helping the states in their anti decoity operations and in maintaining internal law and order, but today its duties extend, much beyond its original scope, to fight terrorism and insurgency.
The saga of steadfast loyalty to duty, some brilliant achievements and a few noble sacrifices will provide inspiration to the members of the Force for a long time to come.
We remember and honour all our heroes some noticed, some unnoticed. We salute them all. Some instances always come to mind when we talk of sacrifice, love for the motherland and its unity and integrity and bravery of our men and some of these have become folklore of a grateful nation, which on these occasions, remembers its gallant police personnel and pays homage to the police martyrs of the country.
HOT SPRING
It was the CRPF which bore the brunt of the first onslaught of the Chinese at Hot Springs (Ladakh) on October 21, 1959 when a small CRPF patrol was ambushed and over-whelmingly out numbered by the Chinese. In the ensuing skirmish, as many as 10 CRPF men laid down their lives for the Motherland, Their Martyrdom on October 21 is observed throughout the country as the ‘Police Commemoration Day’.
In the early days one of the most hazardous of the tasks entrusted to CRPF were on the Indo-Tibetan border, abreast of Aksaichin. It was the Fore's out turn here in the shape of service and sacrifices that inspires us all even today.
From 1953 onwards, Leh (Ladakh) and its frontier check posts had been the sacred trust of one company of CRPF. The wilderness of Aksai area, the inhospitable terrain, the loneliness of the barren mountains, the icy cold winds did not deter the CRPF men from policing the border day and night in defence of their motherland. It was on one such day, conscious of the heightened Chinese movement, and the danger that lurked around, a small patrol party of CRPF moved out along the border with Tibet, unmindful of the fact that they were scripting history for themselves.
It was 21ST October 1959, when this small but dedicated group of soldiers came under heavy fire from automatic weapons of Chinese troops at a place called "Hot Springs". Each one of them fought bravely with only one thought in their minds that they must, at all costs, hold back the aggressor in defence of their motherland. At that moment nothing else mattered to them. The CRPF patrol gave a very bold account of itself even though vastly outnumbered by a trained army having much superior weaponry. Ten jawans laid down their lives for a cause dearest to their hearts.
The incident made "Hot Springs" a holy place to CRPF and the day a martyrs day for entire Police Force of the Country.
If by dint of our achievements that day the Force did not secure the honour of corps-de-elite for Indian Police, it amply vindicated this role by virtue of the gallant sacrifice of ten of its men in trying to ward off an enemy army's efforts to set foot on its sacred land.
THE BATTLE OF SARDAR POST
From the freezing cold of Hot Springs to the stormy desert and sweltering heat of Sardar Post in Rann of Kutch (Gujarat), the love for their motherland and the readiness to make the supreme sacrifice, kept goading tiny groups of our gallant men to take on the enemy, blunt their evil designs and fight till the end.
Seeing the aggressive posture of Pakistan on the Rann of Kutch border during early 1965, four companies of 2 Bn CRPF were ordered to set up, inter alia, border posts. In the darkness of intervening night of 8th & 9th April, 3500 men of 51 st Infantry Brigade of Pakistan, comprising of 18 Punjab Bn, 8 Frontier Rifles and 6 Baluch Bn stealthily launched operation "Desert Hawk" against our border posts. While the planners of operation "Desert Hawk" had taken great care to plan and left nothing to chance, they failed to calculate the grit and determination of a small group of CRPF. Our men guarding the Sardar Post were not asleep despite the Pakistani strategy to lull them by proposal of peace talks.
Head Constable Ranjit Singh was on duty manning a machine gun at that time at SARDAR post. He sensed some movement about 50 to 100 yards to his North, perceiving it to be enemy movement, he challenged the intruders and.lh,e response was a hail of bullets, which was a signal for Pakistani forces to open up with mortars and shells of 25 pounders. A simultaneous attack of a brigade strength began on SARDAR arid TAK post manned by 4 Coys of 2 Bn, CRPF. The personnel in the posts took up positions and to conserve the available supply of ammunition till the last moment, they held their fire with baited breath and allowed the enemy to close in. The death like silence made the Pakistanis to think that all the personnel manning the post have been killed or wounded in the shelltng .It was to the credit of Ct Shiv Ram of Sardar Post to detect the enemy observation post 600 yards away directing the deadly artillery and mortar fire. Once detected, Subedar Balbir Singh was quick enough to direct own mortar fire to destroy this enemy O.P. The attacking columns by now fanned out and the post was surrounded, from close quarters. There was no sign of life in the post. At this stage twenty of the attacking column stepped closer when all the three machine guns of the post came to life and with a sharp hail of murderous fire flattened the enemy, all of them lay dead in an instant. Another wave of the enemy attack from the rear met the fate of their predecessors who fell in the front. In this wave 14 lay dead and 4 were captured alive. The enemy, however, achieved a fleeting success when the machine gun at the North East corner of the post jammed, but the CRPF men rallied swiftly and mounted a counter attack and threw back the enemy. Although the enemy retreated, they were successful in taking 19 CRPF men captive including the post commander Maj. Sardar Karnail Singh. The exchange of fire lasted one hour during which the enemy made three attempts to over run the post but was repulsed with heavy casualties. It was to the valour of Head Constable Bhawana Ram deployed on the eastern parameter of Sardar Post who even when the MMG in his locality was silenced, collected all the grenades in his post and kept throwing one after the other at the enemy attempting to close in. His gallant act was to a great extent instrumental in demoralising the intruders and forcing them to retreat from the post. The retaliation by the CRPF men was such a profound shock to the enemy that despite their numerical and armament superiority, they dared not venture another attack.
The valour of all CRPF men who fought, unmindful of their own safety, the well being of all their dear ones and driven solely by their duty to defend their motherland at all costs was widely applauded and recognized by a grateful nation. There are few parallels of such a battle and the then Union Home Minister very appropriately graded it as a "Military Battle" not a Police battle.
The service and their sacrifice will now not need turning back to old records for appreciation with that historic moment being picked up for celebration as “Valour Day” of the Force after Year.
MILITANT ATTACK ON INDIAN PARLIAMENT FOILED
The brave Jawans of the Force had a day of testing their mettle when a suicidal attack was done on Parliament House by militants on December 13, 2001. In exchange of fire between the CRPF and militants that continued for about 30 mts, all the five militants were eliminated. In the skirmish one Mahila Constable while showing exemplary courage and presence of mind sacrificed her life at the call of duty.
Late Ct. Kamlesh Kumari Santosh Kumar Shaymbir Singh Sukhwinder Singh Y.B.Thapa
The both houses of Parliament including the Prime Minister and Home Minister have applauded the role of CRPF Jawans in the operation. In recognition of the valour displayed in this encounter, Late Mahila Constable has been awarded “Ashoka Chakra” and 4 Jawans have been awarded “Shaurya Chakra” on 26th Jan, 2002.
ATTACK ON RAMJANAM BHUMI-BABRI MASJID, AYODHYA
FOILED
When 5 armed terrorists tried to storm the Ram Janambhoomi / Babri Masjid
Complex in Ayodhya on 5th July, 2005 and had penetrated the outer security
rings, they were challenged by CRPF which formed the inner security ring.
Our Jawans fought bravely and thwarted the evil designs of the terrorists
and successfully eliminated all of them on the spot. Shri
Vijeto Tinyi, AC and Shri Dharambir Singh, Head Constable, who exhibited
exemplary gallant were awarded with ‘Shaurya Chakra’ by H.E. President of
India Shri A.P.J.Abdul Kalam.
Profile of Shaurya Chakra Awardees
Constable Ashish Kumar Tiwari of 202 CoBRA Battalion has been awarded with ‘Shaurya Chakra’ (posthumously). On 26th July, 2010 on specific information regarding movement of 20-25 Naxalites including their prominent leaders Sidhu Soren and Buru, CRPF troops carried out search operation in village Kamya and adjoining jungle area of West Midnapur district, West Bengal. On seeing the troops Naxalites opened indiscriminate fire and exploded multiple IEDs. Troops retaliated and encounter lasted for 2 hours. In this encounter CT/GD Ashish Kumar Tiwari showed exceptional gallant and had bullet injuries. Later he succumbed to injuries. On subsequent search dead bodies of 6 Naxalites including top Moist leader Sidhu Soren, who was Secretary of PCPA and leader of SKGM were recovered. Moreover, a huge cache of Arms and Ammunitions was also recovered |
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