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Police canines and their handlers, from the Nagaland Police, salute at a monument on Monday at New Reserve Police at Phesama in Kohima.[/caption]
Our Correspondent
Kohima, Oct. 21 (EMN): The Nagaland Police on Monday joined the rest of the country in observing Police Commemoration Day at the New Police Reserve at Phesama in Kohima by solemnly paying tributes to police personnel who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty during the past one year.
During the occasion, the director general of police (DGP) for Nagaland, T John Longkumer, took the salute during the ceremonial parade.
Longkumer delivered a speech at the event. “We gather here today to pay homage to the brave and courageous policemen who have laid down their lives so that we may have a better tomorrow.” He said October 21 every year is observed as Police Commemoration Day across the country as a mark of respect to brave police personnel who were killed on duty.
The police chief said the history of the day dates back to October 21 1959 when a CRPF patrolling party led by DCIO Karam Singh was ambushed by Chinese forces at Hot Springs in Ladakh. During the incident, 10 personnel were killed and nine were captured in an unequal battle.
Longkumer said that the bodies of the deceased were returned by the Chinese on November 13 1959 and were cremated on November 14 at Hot Springs. That following year, in 1960, a conference of the heads of police of all states of India decided that October 21 would be observed as Police Commemoration Day every year throughout the country to remember the sacrifice of not only those who were killed in Ladakh but all other policemen killed in the line of duty.
During the period from September 2018 till August 2019, about 292 policemen from across India have laid down their lives in the service of the nation, Longkumer said. “We pay our respects to these brave and valiant police personnel who sacrificed their valuable lives to protect the integrity and security of the country.”
“Today is not only a day of remembrance but a day when we renew our pledge to serve our people, to secure and maintain the integrity of our nation,” he said.
During the ceremony, AIGP (Ops) Vikram Ezung read out the roll of honour for the 292 police personnel. Later, it was placed at a monument on the tennis court of New Police Reserve in Kohima.
The DGP, invitees, officers and police personnel laid wreaths at the monument as a mark of respect to the fallen police personnel.