Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that Security forces have achieved a big success by securing a decisive control over terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. Attending the 83rd Raising Day celebrations of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Jammu as the Chief Guest, he said that since the raising of the CRPF, till date 2,340 of its personnel have made the supreme sacrifice.
This is the first time that the CRPF is celebrating its Raising Day outside Delhi. Amit Shah said that said that CRPF has established the tradition of considering the security of the country and its countrymen above itself. He expressed home that that the jawans of the force will carry forward this tradition with the same dedication.
CRPF is not only a CAPF, as even the youngest citizen of the country appreciates its spirit of dedication and sacrifice. Whatever the situation, as soon as CRPF personnel are sent, the people believe that now the CRPF will handle the situation and this belief is based on years of hard work and the glorious history of the force, he added.
Amit Shah said that whether it be in Naxal affected areas, facing Pakistan-inspired terrorists in Kashmir or restoring peace by eliminating groups that create unrest in the Northeast, the CRPF has played a commendable role in these three areas. On this day in 1950, the country’s first Home Minister and Iron Man, Sardar Patel gave CRPF its colours. Today, the CRPF is the country’s largest armed force with 246 battalions and 3.25 lakh soldiers, whose credibility is recognized not only in the country, but by all Armed Forces in the world, he added.
Union Home Minister said that there was a time when violence was at its peak in the 1990s in Naxalismaffected areas, the North East Theatre and Pak-sponsored terrorism in Kashmir and there was concern amongst citizens due to the internal security situation as to what would the nation’s be. But in a span of two decades, be it the Naxalaffected areas, the North East, Kashmir, showing its strong will everywhere, the CRPF has moved towards defeating the forces that are trying to weaken the country.
He said that elections are the festival of democracy and fair and fearless elections and fearless expression of vote is the soul of elections. Whether it is Assembly elections, or Lok Sabha elections, if there is any armed force performing the biggest duty in the, then it is the CRPF. The CRPF also makes the biggest contribution in safeguarding democracy in the country, as any democracy cannot keep itself strong without fearless elections and voting in a fearless manner.
Amit Shah said there was a time when fierce riots used to take place across the country, but after the establishment of Rapid Action Force (RAF) new methods of controlling riots with minimum use of force have been developed. The RAF’s tenacity is as it should be, but the RAF has succeeded with confidence through the new art of pacifying rioters with the least use of force.