Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will lay a wreath at the National Police Memorial (NPM) in New Delhi on October 21 to mark Police Commemoration Day, which honours the 10 brave policemen who were martyred in an ambush by heavily armed Chinese troops at Hot Springs in Ladakh on the same day in 1959.
Since then, October 21 is observed annually as Police Commemoration Day across the country to pay tribute to police personnel who have laid down their lives in the line of duty.
A joint parade featuring the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and the Delhi Police will be held at the memorial as part of the ceremony. Besides the Defence Minister, the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Members of Parliament with police backgrounds, and heads of CAPFs and Central Police Organisations (CPOs) are also expected to lay wreaths. Retired Director Generals, senior police officials and other dignitaries will attend the event. Rajnath Singh is also scheduled to address the gathering.
In 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the National Police Memorial at Chanakyapuri on Police Commemoration Day as a tribute to the sacrifice of police personnel. The memorial serves as a symbol of national identity, pride and unity for the police forces and commemorates their contribution to internal security.
The memorial comprises a 30-foot high central granite monolith, symbolising strength, resilience and selfless service, a Wall of Valour engraved with the names of police martyrs, and a museum that traces the history and evolution of policing in India. The museum is open to the public on all days except Mondays.
On weekends, CAPFs also conduct band displays, parade and retreat ceremonies at the memorial starting one hour before sunset.
Commemorative events will be held at the National Police Memorial from October 22 to 30, including visits by family members of fallen personnel, motorcycle rallies, Run for Martyrs, blood donation camps, and essay and painting competitions for children. Video screenings showcasing the bravery and sacrifices of police personnel will also be organised.
Similar tribute programmes will take place across the country by various police forces during the same period, underscoring the nation’s collective gratitude to its police personnel.