Beyond the clouds of emotions hovered in their minds, it was a heart warming moment for families of three policemen who died during service when Director General of Police T.K. Rajendran inaugurated the martyrs column on Police Recruits School campus on Saturday. With the names of the three policemen engraved, the martyrs column will remain as a monument of their sacrifice to the force.
Situated near the Children’s Traffic Park, the 18-feet column is engraved with wordings ‘for your tomorrow, we gave our today.’
The names of police personnel R. Rajarathinam, who was stabbed to death by criminals during duty in 1985, R. Selvaraj, a traffic police constable, who was killed by fundamentalists in 1997, and N. Chandrasekaran, who was run over by a vehicle while trying to stop it for having caused an accident in 2011, are engraved on the column.
“It is like a ship without captain when a family loses its breadwinner. But you are part of the big police family. Apart from monetary support, our mental support is always with you,” said Mr. Rajendran.
The state police chief was impressed when two sons of a deceased policeman opened up their ambition to become police officers like their father. Mr. Rajendran also lauded Police Commissioner A. Amalraj for taking the initiative.
Henceforth, homages to the deceased police officers will be paid at the martyrs column on Police Commemoration Day which falls on October 21. Earlier, the force used to make makeshift martyrs column for the event.
“Rather than constructing a monument to pay respects to martyrs, this is an effort by city police to honour the three policemen who sacrificed their lives,” said Mr. Amalraj.
Mr. Rajendran and senior officials of the city police later paid respects to the deceased officers by laying wreaths.
IG, West Zone, A. Pari, DCPs S. Lakshmi (law and order), Pa. Moorthy (Headquarters), S. Saravanan (Traffic) were present. Four saplings were also planted on the premises.
Mr. Rajendran also inaugurated an SBI ATM on the campus. SBI officials handed over 200 reflective jackets for traffic police, traffic wardens and home guards.
