Current Affairs

The intervening night of 8-9 of April 1965 is the glorious night in the military history of India. On this day just two company of soldiers(oddly 150 personnel) fought back a Brigade strength of 35,00 armed men of Pakistan and secured out a border at Sardar Post inflicting a heavy causality of 34 dead Pakistan personnel including two officers and captured 4 soldiers. The country remembers its martyrs of CRPF by observing "Valour Day" on April 9 every year.

CRPF was tasked to man the Sardar Post after aggressive posturing of Pak Army. On the early hours of 9th April 1965 3,500 armed Brigade launched a simultaneous stealth attack on Sardar Post and Tak Post as a part it is failed " Operation Hawk ". Sensing some movements 50 to 100 yards to the north post. Head Constable Ranjit Singh took a position with his Machine Gun. His shots were challenged by artillery fire from 25 pounder-guns. Soon all personnel manning the post realised it was a full Brigade of enemy Army. All soldiers rushed to take a position against the incoming attack. This fight lasted for 12 hours with reinforcements coming from nearby Tak post. In this battle, six CRPF men made supreme sacrifice and inflicting a heavy causality resulting in a humiliating defeat to the Brigade of Pakistan Army.

There are six-day declared as martyrs day in India. Most of which are a result of the supreme sacrifice made by our freedom fighters before the Independence of India. 21st October is special because it is the only martyrs day observed by the police departments throughout India for the supreme sacrifice made by the CRPF or Central Reserve Police Force in the ambush by hostile Chinese Army in 1959. The legacy created by no other armed forces in India. Therefore, Police Commemoration Day is observed on October 21 every year, in remembrance of the sacrifices of ten policemen who died in Chinese firing in 1959 that happened at hot springs near Ladakh.

CRPF was responsible for manning the 2500 mile long Indo-China border until 1959. On October 21, Chinese troops threw a grenade at a party of 20 CRPF police personnel. 10 Soldiers died on the spot and & severely injured who were later taken as prisoners of War. It took China 3 long weak to return the 10 martyrs body who were later cremated with full police honour. The Annual Conference of Inspectors General of Police of States and Union Territories held in January 1960, decided that in order to commemorate the exceptional act of Valour by the men of CRPF, October 21 will be observed as 'Police Commemoration Day' across the country.

To pay homage to these fallen soldiers, a memorial was erected at Hot Springs near Ladakh and members of Police Forces from different parts of the country trek to Hot Springs to pay homage to the martyrs. Since 2012, the Police Commemoration Day Parade is being held at the National level at the Police Memorial, Chanakyapuri.