Tributes paid to police martyrs
From Tribune Reporters

The Police Commemoration Day was observed on October 21. The details from various states are tabulated :

The day is observed since 1959 in the memory of a small contingent of police personnel which was attacked by Chinese troops. As many as 10 men were killed. Since then, all states and UTs observe this day and pay homage to those valiant officers and soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for their motherland. (Also see Chandigarh Tribune)

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YAMUNANAGAR: Martyrdom day was celebrated here at Police Lines on Thursday, Mr K.K Sindhu, SP, informed here.

He paid glowing tributes to the martyrs who laid down their lives for the nation.

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SHIMLA: An impressive commemoration parade was held at the martyrs’ memorial at Police Lines here on Thursday by the Himachal Pradesh Police.

The function was attended by serving and retired police officers and all ranks.

Mr T.R. Mahajan, Director-General of Police, took the salute and led all ranks in laying wreaths at the martyrs' memorial to honour all those policemen who made the supreme sacrifice in performing their duty. He read out the role of honour of the 1,008 police personnel, including two from Himachal Pradesh Police, who laid down their lives in the service of their country during the past one year.

On October 21, 1959, 10 Gallant jawans of the CRPF laid down their lives at Hot Springs in the Aksai area of Ladakh in the service of their country in an unequal combat with heavily armed Chinese troops who had violated the Indian border in an area which is extremely inhospitable and at an altitude averaging 15,000-16,000 feet and devoid of any habitation/vegetation in memory of the supreme sacrifice of these police martyrs every year.

October 21 is observed as police commemoration day in memory of those CRPF personnel who were killed by the Chinese in 1959.

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SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Police has lost 78 officers and jawans during anti-militancy operations in the state this year. This is the highest number of police personnel killed in these operations during the decade-long militancy.

This was disclosed by Mr Gurbachan Jagat, Director-General of Jammu and Kashmir Police, while addressing jawans and senior state officials at the police commemoration day at Zewan on the outskirts of the capital this morning. Acting Chief Minister and Works Minister Ghulam Mohiuddin Shah was the chief guest on the occasion who took the salute at the police parade.

Mr Jagat said the state police was playing an important role in fighting militancy, adding that the Centre wanted to further strengthen it. He said during the recent years the role of the police had changed due to the change in the situation. New challenges were being faced by the police for disturbances created by foreign forces due to infiltration of militants. "These changed basics of the role of the police and the paramilitary forces", Mr Jagat said. The state police was among top three police forces in the country, Mr Jagat said.

Mr Jagat said that militants activities, insurgency and infiltration were being controlled by the police effectively, and there was immense change in logistics. "Paramilitary forces and the state police accepted the challenge", Mr Jagat commented. He added that the infiltration of armed regulars in Kargil this year was an additional task faced by the state apart from the challenging tasks of Amarnath yatra and Independence Day celebrations. He said only four battalions of the Army were engaged in the Amarnath yatra while the rest was managed by the police and paramilitary forces as the Army had to be sent to the borders.

The state got only eight companies of paramilitary forces this time during the elections against 350 companies sent during the last elections. The state police and paramilitary were mobilised and the "difficult task was accomplished within our resources" Mr Jagat said.

Referring to the availability of resources, Mr Jagat said there was further scope of modernising the police force and its logistics, which needed more funds. "That would bring down the casualty graph of police personnel which had touched the highest number this year," Mr Jagat said.

UDHAMPUR: Rich tributes were paid on Thursday to the police personnel and security forces personnel who sacrificed their lives for the nation. As many as 987 personnel of the police, the ITBP, the BSF, the CRPF, and the RPF were killed between September 1, 1998 and August 31, 1999, throughout the country. A total of 77 state police personnel were killed during this time.

A ceremony was organised here. The SSP, Mr Satvir Gupta, took the salute from police and CRPF contingents. He later laid a wreath on the memorial erected at Police Lines.

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AMRITSAR: Rich tributes were paid to police jawans who were killed on duty in an encounter with the Chinese in Ladakh at Police Lines here on Thursday.The solemn function organised as commemoration day —was presided over by Mr J.P. Birdi, Inspector-General of Police (Border Range), and was attended by Mrs Laxmi Kanta Chawla, MLA.

Mr Inderjit Singh Walia, Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr Parampal Singh Sidhu, SSP, and other police and civil officials paid floral tributes to the martyrs on the occasion. A contingent of the Punjab Police led by Mr S.S. Mann, DSP gave a guard of honour to the martyrs and a two-minute silence was observed as a mark of respect.A similar function was also held at the Police Lines in Majitha police district. The function at Daburji was presided over by DIG (Border Range), Mr Jasminder Singh, who paid glowing tributes to the martyrs on the commemoration day. The SSP (Majitha), Mr Sukhdev Singh Brar, also paid tributes to the martyrs and heard grievances of the martyrs’ families.

BARNALA: Mr Sanjiv Gupta, DIG, Police, Patiala Range, Mr Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota, SSP, Barnala police district, and Mr Rahul Bhandari, SDM, paid glowing tributes to police martyrs of Barnala region by laying wreaths on the memorial erected at the local Police Lines.

Recognising the supreme sacrifice made by police martyrs of Barnala region, Mr Gupta honoured 20 families of police personnel. Earlier, a contingent of the Punjab Police reversed arms as a mark of respect to the martyrs. A two-minute silence was observed in memory of all police martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the sake of their motherland.

BATHINDA: Mr Harnek Singh Sran, SSP, on Thursday all policemen should remain vigilant towards activities of anti-national and anti-social elements.

Addressing a gathering at a function organised in connection with the police commemoration day at Police Lines here, Mr Sran assured that all widows and kin of killed police officials would be booked after well and all possible help would be extended to them by the police authorities.

Mr S.R. Ladhar, Deputy Commissioner, Mr Harbaj Singh, SP, and other police and military officials were present on the occasion.

FATEHGARH SAHIB: The district police observed commemoration day at Mandi Gobindgarh on Thursday. Mr Paramraj Singh Umranangal, SSP, inspected the commemoration day parade and paid homage to police martyrs. Mr Rupinder Singh, DSP, Bassi Pathana, led the parade. On this occasion, the names of police martyrs were read and two-minute silence was observed. The district police gave Rs 25,000 to the civil hospital for free medical check-up of police martyr’s families. These families were also given Rs 5,000 each.

FEROZEPORE: A commemoration day parade was held at the Police Lines here on Thursday. A two-minute silence was observed to pay homage to martyrs of Punjab Police who sacrificed their lives while performing their duties. Families of those policemen who were killed at the hands of militants were present on the occasion. The ceremony was presided over by the local SP (Headquarters), Mr Narinderpal Singh Sidhu.

GURDASPUR: More than 500 persons, including police officials and municipal councillors, took part in a commemoration day function held by the district police in the local Police Lines grounds on Thursday to pay homage to those of the police and paramilitary forces who lost their lives while performing duty between September 1998 and August 31, 1999. As many as 987 officials lost their lives during this period. Their names were read on the occasion.

Mr Varinder Kumar, SSP, who presided, said the commencement of the day dated back to September 21, 1959, when 10 jawans of the CRPF lost their lives on the Sino-Indian border when the Chinese army attempted to capture part of Indian territory.

Mr Varinder Kumar paid floral tributes to the martyrs. A two-minute silence was also observed.

HOSHIARPUR: In order to pay homage to martyrs of paramilitary forces and policemen of different states who laid down their lives for the country while performing their duty a special function was organised here on Thursday. Mr Iqbal Singh Sidhu, Deputy Commissioner, Mr R.P. Mittal, SSP placed wreaths on the martyrs’ memorial and paid rich tributes to them. A contingent of the police led by Mr Ravinder Kumar, DSP, reversed their arms and the participants observed a two-minute silence to pay their homage to those martyrs who laid down their lives during last year.

Mr R.P. Mittal said as many as 987 jawans and officers of the paramilitary forces and the police of different states laid down their lives between September 1, 1998, and August 31, 1999, while performing their duties. He said out of the aforesaid martyrs 74 belonged to Punjab, including eight from Hoshiarpur district.

KHANNA: Police martyrs day was observed here on Thursday at the local Police Lines. The SSP, Mr R. L. Bhagat, said while paying homage to the martyrs that Punjab Police had lost two DIGs, four SSPs, nine SPs, 14 DSPs, 40 Inspectors and 1943 policemen of other ranks.

He assured the families of the martyrs that the Police Department would help them at every step. The SDM, Mr S.S Gill, and the SP, Mr S.S. Bhatti, were among the prominent speakers on the occasion.

LUDHIANA: The Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Ludhiana Range, Mr Paramjit Singh Sandhu, presided over the police commemoration day parade here on Thursday. He paid homage to the martyrs of the police force who had laid down their lives for the sake of the nation. About 70 bereaved families of the police martyrs attended this function. After the function, the SSP, Ms Gurpreet Deo, gave a hearing to the problems of these families and gave orders to solve these problems. The families were given one blanket each and sweets.The function was also attended by the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mr K. Siva Prasad.

NABHA: All-India Youth Congress president Maninderjit Singh Bitta on Thursday urged the central government to celebrate the next year as the year of the Army in which various welfare schemes instituted for defence personnel could be reviewed and new ones formulated.

Speaking at a function organised by the Anti-Terrorist Front to commemorate police day here when Punjab Deputy Inspector General of Police Rajinder Singh was honoured for his fight against terrorism and anti-robbery operations, Mr Bitta said even if the central government did not take up the suggestion his front would celebrate next year as the year of the Army.

Mr Bitta said the front would tour all states in the country to examine the position of Army widows and relatives who had benefited from earlier schemes. He said families of paramilitary personnel would also be taken under the ambit of the survey. He said following the survey, the front would give its recommendations to various state governments.

Speaking on the Kargil issue and its aftermath, he said Mr George Fernandes should not have again been appointed Defence Minister of the country. He also said the intelligence failures should be pinpointed and those responsible for them should be punished.

NAWANSHAHR: A function was held have on Thursday to pay tributes to police martyrs. The SSP, Mr Rajpal Meena, while paying rich tributes to the martyrs said jawans and officials of the Punjab Police had sacrificed their lives for the sake of unity and integrity of the country.

PATIALA: Police day was celebrated here on Thursday at Police Lines grounds. Mr Harpreet Singh Sidhu, SSP, paid rich tributes to members of a police party led by Karam Singh who died in 1959 when ambushed by a Chinese forces at the Indo-Chinese border and in whose everlasting memory the day is observed. Martyr Karam Singh, whose family lives in the city here, was also remembered by his sons at a simple commemorative function at their residence. His sons Dr Satwant Sachdeva and Maj-Gen Harcharan Singh said an appropriate memorial should be constructed for the martyrs.