By Prem Singh, IPS
On 21.10.1959, a patrol party of CRPF was ambushed by the Chinese troops at Hot Springs in Ladakh in which 10 CRPF jawans were killed. It was a manifestly unequal combat in which the CRPF personnel were heavily outnumbered by the Chinese troops. Since then, 21st Oct is observed as the Police Commemoration Day throughout the country in which the police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel pay their respectful homage to the police and CAPF personnel who made supreme sacrifice in the line of duty during the preceding year.
From Oct 1959 upto Aug 2015, as many as 32,991 police and CAPF personnel sacrificed their lives while discharging their duties. This includes 108 officers and men of the Meghalaya police who laid down their lives in the line of duty from Dec 1987 up to 1st Oct, 2015.
The Meghalaya police personnel have been fighting the scourge of militancy valiantly and with courage over the last many years without getting demoralised by heavy casualty rate among its ranks. The fact that one of its officers was posthumously awarded the prestigious Kirti Chakra and as many as 41 of its officers and men have been awarded Gallantry Medals since 1989 would bear ample and eloquent testimony to the conspicuous courage and bravery of the highest order displayed by the officers and men of the Meghalaya police while fighting militancy.
As we are all aware, the members of our Indian Army who sacrifice their lives while discharging their duties are given the honour of being called martyrs and deservedly so. But regrettably, no such honour is bestowed upon the police and CAPF personnel who sacrifice their lives while on duty which is highly unfair to them for the following reasons:-
Police and CAPF personnel have over the years been rendering yeoman’s service to the nation by valiantly combating terrorism, insurgency and left-wing extremism. CAPF personnel have also been guarding all our international borders except the LoC( border with PoK in J&K) and LAC( border with China) often working in extremely hostile and inhospitable terrain. The police also have to contend with crimes and criminals including dreaded and violent criminals and have to investigate cases and bring the culprits to justice besides having to maintain peace and order in the society. They have to discharge their highly exacting duties under extremely difficult working and living conditions, working for about 18 hours a day without respite. They have to work even on holidays. They are not compensated for working long hours and don’t get adequately compensated for working on holidays. The nature of duties often entails serious risk to their lives. The same is true of CAPF personnel who face constant risk while discharging their duties.
The extent of risk to which the police and CAPF personnel are exposed is evident from the fact that in the last 55 years, 32991 police and CAPF personnel have died on duty. It goes without saying, therefore that the police and CAPF personnel have been rendering monumental service to society and, indeed, to the nation at large and have been contributing in no small measure towards holding the country together at huge risk to their personal safety against heavy odds.
The nation salutes the brave members of the Army who sacrifice their lives while fighting the enemies of the nation. We all owe a huge debt of gratitude to them for their supreme sacrifice. But when the police and CAPF personnel are killed in the line of duty particularly when seen in the context of extremely exacting responsibilities which they have to shoulder as has been elucidated above, there is no reason why they should be denied the honour of being called martyrs. Also, for the same reason, there does not seem to be any reason why their next of kin should not be extended financial compensation on par with that applicable to the Army.
In this regard, a PIL was filed in the Delhi High Court in July 2015 by advocates Abhishek Choudhary and advocate Harsh Ahuja seeking direction to the Union Govt to give the police and CAPF personnel who sacrifice their lives while discharging their duties status of martyr as in case of the Army as well as direction to extend financial compensation to their next of kin on par with the Army. The petitioners, inter alia, contended that even after 31,895 police and CAPF personnel had sacrificed their lives (till Sep 2014), the honour of being called martyr still eludes them. In response to the same, the Union Govt is learnt to have informed the court that a proposal to grant status of martyr to the police or CAPF personnel who sacrifice their lives while discharging their duties “ is under active consideration of the Govt”. Unfortunately it is now learnt that the Union Govt informed the court that it has no such scheme. The Govt is also learnt to have called the PIL filed by the petitioners misconceived and unfounded in view of the affidavit filed by the Ministry of Defence in the court to the effect that there is no order granting the members of the Army who sacrifice their lives in the line of duty the status of martyr.
Now, the amount of ex gratia relief extended to the next of kin of the members of the Army and the CAPF personnel in discharge of their duties is the same (Rs 15 Lakhs). But in case of police personnel this varies from state to state and is far too inadequate in most of states. This is highly unfair to the next of kin of police personnel who are killed in action against insurgents, terrorists, and extremists. It is therefore imperative to bring the same on par with the Army and the CAPF. In fact there are instances in which when the CAPF and police personnel get killed in joint operations against militants, terrorists and extremists. While the next of kin of the slain CAPF personnel is paid ex gratia of Rs 15 lakhs, the next of kin of police personnel who is killed in the same joint operation is paid a ridiculously small amount of money. By no stretch of imagination can this be justified.
Given the meagre financial resources at the disposal of most of the states, it is impossible for them to pay ex gratia amounts to the police personnel who sacrifice their lives on par with the Army/ CAPF, after enhancing the same to Rs 15 lakhs in case of police personnel also, the entire ex gratia relief paid should be subsequently reimbursed by the Union Govt under the Security Related Expenditure and the time line for reimbursement of expenditure so incurred should be clearly stipulated.
Quite often, insurgents/terrorists/left wing extremists (LWEs) indulge in acts of unspeakable and horrendous violence including cold blooded murder of civilians, police and CAPF personnel, destruction of public as well as Govt property, sabotage, abduction for ransom and resort to sophisticated weapons and improvised explosive devices to achieve their nefarious and despicable designs, all of which run counter to the national interest. One can aver without fear of contradiction that the police and CAPF personnel who make supreme sacrifice while combating insurgency/terrorism, LWEs etc. die martyrs in serving the nation. It thus stands to reason that they should be given the status of martyrs.
Insofar as granting the status of martyr to police/CAPF personnel who sacrifice their lives in discharge of duties is concerned, as mentioned earlier, the members of the Army who are killed while discharging their duties are treated as martyrs even though no order to this effect has been issued by the Ministry of Defence. Along the same lines, Intelligence Bureau – the nodal organisation for compiling and circulating list of the police and CAPF personnel who sacrifice their lives every year can issue a direction to the DGs of CAPFs and DGPs of all states to treat CAPF and police personnel killed on duty as martyrs without the Ministry of Home Affairs having to issue formal orders to this effect.
Lastly, it would not suffice to remember the supreme sacrifice made by the police and CAPF personnel by merely holding commemoration parade on 21st Oct each year by observing the usual rituals. If the nation has to truly remember the supreme sacrifice of police and CAPF personnel, then, apart from giving them status of martyr and extending ex gratia relief to their next of kin on par with the Army/CAPF, it is also imperative to observe the Police Commemoration Day in a more befitting and dignified manner. At the national level, the function should be attended, among others, by the PM, Union Home Minister, Cabinet Secretary and Union Home Secretary. At the state level, it should be attended, by the Chief Minister, Home Minister, Chief Secretary and Secretary in charge of the Home Department.
(The writer is former DGP and DG Prisons, Meghalaya)
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