Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Srinagar Sector CRPF celebrated the 88th Raising Day of the Central Reserve Police Force with enthusiasm and patriotic fervour at the Group Centre in Srinagar on Monday, with the Sector and all units and offices deployed across Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal districts joining the nationwide observances marking 88 years of service, courage and sacrifice.
The Force traces its origins to 27 July 1939, when it was raised as the Crown Representative’s Police at Neemuch in Madhya Pradesh. Following India’s independence, it was rechristened the Central Reserve Police Force under the CRPF Act of 1949. Over the decades, the CRPF has grown into one of India’s largest central armed police forces, playing a pivotal role in internal security, counter-insurgency operations, anti-Naxal operations, law-and-order duties, VIP security, disaster relief and peacekeeping deployments both within India and abroad.
Special Director General J&K Zone CRPF, Rajesh Kumar, graced the occasion at Group Centre Srinagar as chief guest, extending warm greetings and heartfelt congratulations to CRPF personnel across the Union Territory on the occasion. The event was also attended by IG Srinagar Sector CRPF, Pawan Kumar Sharma, IG Kashmir Ops Sector CRPF, Vineet Brij Lal, and other senior officers of the Force, underlining the significance accorded to the occasion within the CRPF’s Kashmir command structure.
Speaking at the event, the Special Director General lauded the Force’s storied history, highlighting its commendable operational record across theatres as varied as Punjab, Left Wing Extremism-affected regions, the North East and Jammu and Kashmir. He specifically underscored the CRPF’s vital contribution to curbing militancy in Jammu and Kashmir through close coordination with sister security agencies, while remembering the supreme sacrifices made by CRPF personnel over the decades of operations in the region.
As a mark of deep respect and gratitude, the Special Director General, accompanied by other senior officers, paid solemn homage to the Force’s martyrs at the Shaheed Smarak located within the Group Centre campus, a gesture that has become a customary feature of Raising Day observances across CRPF establishments nationwide. A Sainik Sammelan was also organised to mark the occasion, during which recipients of the Shaurya Chakra, gallantry medals and the Director General’s Disc were felicitated in recognition of their outstanding service, dedication to duty and operational excellence in the field.
To mark the occasion and boost troop morale, various games and a traditional Bara Khana feast were organised for personnel, with the event concluding on a note of patriotic spirit and a renewed pledge among the ranks to uphold the values and duties entrusted to the Force.
On the occasion, Director General CRPF, G.P. Singh, extended his warmest wishes to the entire CRPF family from national headquarters, reiterating the Force’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding the nation and overcoming internal security challenges in the years ahead.
