Every year, October 21 is celebrated as the Police Commemoration Day, to pay tributes to all police personnel who died in the line of duty. Last year, tributes were also paid to the cops who lost their lives due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
“On the occasion of Police Commemoration Day, we pay homage to the brave hearts who lost their lives for the country in the line of duty. The nation will never forget their sacrifices,” the Indian Police Service (Central) Association tweeted on Thursday.
History
The Police Commemoration Day remembers the ultimate sacrifice of 10 police personnel who lost their lives on October 21, 1959 in Ladakh while fighting the Chinese army.
The Chinese army opened fire and threw grenades at the Indian police party which comprised 20 personnel. Apart from the 10 personnel who were martyred, seven were taken as prisoners and the remaining three managed to escape.
National Police Memorial Unveiled in 2018
In October 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi National Police Memorial in New Delhi. Addressing the occasion, Modi remembered the personnel who were serving in Maoist-affected areas and in Jammu and Kashmir. The proposal to have a police memorial in India was first by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government in 2002.
Last year, Union home minister Amit Shah, while paying tributes at the memorial on October 21, told the family members of the slain police personnel that this memorial was not made up only of bricks, stones and cement, it also reminded the country that every single drop of the martyrs’ blood has taken India forward on the path of development.
{{/usCountry}}Last year, Union home minister Amit Shah, while paying tributes at the memorial on October 21, told the family members of the slain police personnel that this memorial was not made up only of bricks, stones and cement, it also reminded the country that every single drop of the martyrs’ blood has taken India forward on the path of development.
{{/usCountry}}Tributes pour in
On Thursday morning, the country's political fraternity paid tributes to the valiant police personnel.
“On Police Commemoration Day, I would like to acknowledge the outstanding efforts by our police forces in preserving law and order, and assisting others in times of need. I pay homage to all those police personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.
“I salute the courage and dedication of our police forces and pay homage to the selfless sacrifices of the martyrs in the line of duty on the occasion of Police Commemoration Day,” Union home minister Hardeep Singh Puri tweeted.
"On #IndianPoliceCommemorationDay, we pay our heartfelt tribute to all the police personnel who lost their lives during the Chinese firing in 1959 and all other police personnel who strive day in & day out to keep us safe & make the ultimate sacrifice on the line of duty," Congress party said on Twitter.
“Wishing a very Happy Police Commemoration Day to all the policemen who keep us safe without thinking about their own lives,” Union minister Pralhad Joshi.