The 64th Police Commemoration Day was observed at the Punjab Armed Police headquarters in Chandigarh on Saturday to pay tribute to brave personnel who sacrificed their lives fighting militants and criminals for the unity and integrity of the nation. DGP Gaurav Yadav said that Punjab Police has a glorious history of valour and sacrifice. The members of the force have laid down their lives to maintain the unity of the nation and give security to the citizens, he said, adding that the police had sacrificed its 1,797 officials since 1981. While addressing a gathering after paying floral tributes to the bravehearts, the Punjab police chief said it was because of them that everyone enjoys freedom now. He said that Punjab Police is known for its bravery, courage and successfully rooting out militancy. The force would work harder towards maintaining peace and communal harmony in the border state. Sadak Suraksha Force for road safety Interacting with reporters on the sidelines of the event, DGP Yadav said the flagship project of Sadak Suraksha Force (SSF)—the brainchild of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann—would hit the roads soon and not only help to save lives by reducing accidents but also streamline traffic movement. As many as 1,500 SSF personnel are undergoing specialised training in road safety, and orders to purchase 121 new Toyota Hilux and 28 interceptor vehicles for the force have already been placed. These vehicles will be deployed at every 30 km. The DGP said the police had taken a ruthless approach towards drug dealers and would not rest until wiping out the the menace from the state. The police have embarked on a three-pronged strategy of enforcement, de-addiction and prevention for making Punjab a drug-free state, he added. The police have also launched drug awareness drives as part of which several competitions including hockey matches, cycling, marathons and painting contests are being organised. The DGP also said that drug consumers who are victims are being taken to de-addiction centres for rehabilitation. The DGP assured full support and cooperation to the families of police personnel who died in the line of duty. “We will not let the sacrifices of our heroes go in vain. I assure you that Punjab Police will continue to serve with full dedication and bravery to ensure peace and harmony in the border state,” he said. He also met the families of martyrs afterwards. Earlier, names of all the 189 police martyrs of this year including Mandeep Singh, Kuldeep Singh, Parminder Singh, who died while fighting gangsters, were read out by Navjot Singh Mahal, commandant of the 80th battalion. A two-minute silence was observed, and later, senior officials laid wreaths at the martyrs’ memorial. Minister Balkar Singh, several ADGPs and IGPs and other senior police officers were among those present on the occasion. History of Police Commemoration Day The history of Police Commemoration Day goes back to October 21, 1959, when a CRPF patrol party led by SI Karam Singh was ambushed by Chinese forces at Hot Springs in Ladakh and 10 jawans of the paramilitary force were killed. The jawans were fighting at an altitude of 16,000 ft in extremely cold conditions and against all odds. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police sends a representative party of all police forces of the country to Hot Springs every year to pay homage to the CRPF jawans who laid down their lives in 1959. Since then, commemoration parades are held in all police units every year on October 21 as a mark of respect to the brave personnel who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. Arms are reversed and a two-minute silence is observed in the honour of the departed souls. The names of martyrs of state police forces and paramilitary forces are read out to acknowledge the supreme sacrifices made by them.
