The Police Commemoration Day was observed at the Police Stadium in Gorimedu here on Sunday to remember the sacrifices of men in uniform.
Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi, Public Works Minister A. Namassivayam and Director-General of Police S. Sundari Nanda laid wreaths and observed silence at the police memorial.
Ms. Nanda said that every year the day was observed to commemorate the sacrifices made by 10 policemen in the line of duty at Hot Springs in Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir on October 21, 1959. These gallant men, despite their severe limitations in number and in fire power, put up a valiant fight against the enemy forces in trying to repel them from the Indian territory and lost their lives.
Although it occurred 60 years ago, the memory of the supreme sacrifice was still fresh in the minds of all policemen. This day was symbolic of courage and devotion to duty and was observed as Police Commemoration Day.
Growing stress
With the ever increasing danger and threat to security, the job of a policeman had become stressful. Consequently, the number of police personnel losing their lives on duty had increased since the Ladakh attack, she said.
Ms. Nanda said that a large number of policemen lost their lives in the line of duty at a fairly young age. Nearly 40,000 police personnel have lost their lives in the line of duty since Independence.
Throughout the country, 419 police personnel laid down their lives while on duty between September 1, 2017 and August 31, 2018.
This included two officers in the rank of Superintendents of Police, 11 inspectors, 26 sub-inspectors, 34 assistant sub-inspectors, 112 head constables, 209 constables and 25 firemen. In Puducherry, 18 policemen died in the line of duty so far.
Three-volley salute was given to the brave hearts during the event.
Later, Ms. Bedi told presspersons with a note of agony that the former DGP had not invited her to the Police Commemoration Day last year.
“The former DGP was unfortunately very scared to invite the Lt. Governor for such a function. I came late to the function and by myself. This is a day that unites us in saluting the sacrifices of all men and women who laid down their lives in the service of the nation,” she added.
