Commemoration parade held at Police Lines, Bharari

Shimla, October 21

A commemoration parade was held at Police Lines, Bharari, here in the memory of police jawans. These jawans sacrificed their lives while performing their duties to combat terrorism, Naxal attacks, communal riots, looting, managing violent crowds, protecting the life and property and relief and rehabilitation operations in the wake of natural calamities.

A resolution was made at the Annual Conference of Inspectors General of Police of States and Union Territories in January 1960 and October 21 is now recognised as Police Commemoration Day or Martyr’s Day. A parade is held on October 21 at the Police Memorial in Chanakyapuri, Delhi, every year since 2012.

Deputy SP Kamal Verma led the parade at Shimla and Additional Director General of Police (CID) S P Singh paid homage to the martyrs.

October 21 commemorates the sacrifices of 10 CRPF personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty on October 21, 1959. Ten Indian policemen were killed during an attack by Chinese troops in Hot Springs region close to Ladakh after an argument among the troops. Since that day, October 21 is observed as National Police Commemoration Day.

On October 20, 1959, when the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was in charge of patrolling the 2,600-mile border between India and Tibet, three units of the CRPF’s 3rd Battalion were dispatched on separate patrols to Hot Springs to keep an eye on the Indo-China border in North Eastern Ladakh. However, one of the three contingents, which consisted of two police constables and a porter, did not return.

On October 21, a new contingent comprising 21 police personnel headed by Sub-Inspector, Karam Singh was on patrolling duty. As soon as they approached a hillock in Ladakh, the Chinese Army opened fire. Seven Indian police officers were taken as prisoners and 10 of them were killed while on duty. The Chinese troops handed over the bodies of the martyred police officers to India on November 28, 1959.