Kohima: The Nagaland Police joined policemen across the country to observe the Police Commemoration Day on Wednesday, saluting the brave and valiant police personnel who “sacrificed their valuable lives to protect the Integrity and Security of the country”.
Speaking at the police commemoration parade held at the new police reserve in Phesama, Nagaland DGP T John Longkumer said, “Police plays a critical role in the development of a nation. They do this by carrying law and order, by foiling the nefarious ploys of insurgents and anti-socials and as witnessed during the pandemic by helping the needy and ensuring smooth flow of essential services to the people.”
As policemen gathered to pay homage to the supreme sacrifices of policemen, Longkumer said that the sacrifices were aimed at securing a better tomorrow for all others. He recollected the Government of India’s recognition of the contribution of the police force by declaring the period from October 21 to October 31 to be celebrated as Police Flag Day.
He informed that the Nagaland Police is also organizing events to mark the occasion, with the Commemoration Parade being the first of such events.
The police chief recalled how a CRPF Mobile Patrolling Party led by DCIO Karam Singh was ambushed in Aksai-Chin area of Ladakh by Chinese troops on October 21 in 1959 when 10 of them were killed and nine were captured in the “unequal battle”.
The dead bodies of the deceased were handed over by the Chinese on the November 13, 1959 and were cremated at 8 am on November 14 at the Hot Springs. With a martyrs memorial erected there, every year a police party visits the Hot Springs, which is located in the extremely difficult altitude of 16,000 ft to pay tributes at this memorial, he said.
It was in 1960 when the heads of police of all States across the country, in a conference, decided to observe October 21 as a Police Commemoration Day. “On this day we remember the sacrifice of not only those killed in Ladakh but of all other Policemen killed in the line of duty,” the police chief said.
Since 1947, over 35,000 Policemen have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty and Nagaland Police officers and men have also made such supreme sacrifices, he informed. He added saying “We have also lost many precious lives both in our Home State and in states like Chhattisgarh and West Bengal. The courage and sacrifice of these martyrs will always be remembered by the department and also by those they died protecting”.
Paying respects to the brave and valiant police personnel who sacrificed their valuable lives to protect the Integrity and Security of the country, Longkumer said that 265 policemen all over India has “laid down their lives while maintaining law and order, preventing anti-socials and countering terrorists”.
The state police chief also mentioned that 11,35,000 Indian policemen were tested positive for COVID-19 while in the frontline duty. Out of these, 802 succumbed to COVID-19.
“Today is not only a day of mourning, but a day when we remember selfless sacrifice shown by martyrs and we renew pledge to serve our people, to secure and to maintain the integrity of the nation,” he concluded.
