The man in blue is attentive to every detail around him and his stoic demeanour only breaks when he smiles approvingly at the serpentine queue formed outside the stall he’s standing guard over. As the crowd swells and snatches of conversations about his colleagues who have shown exemplary courage in the past reaches his ears, this blue uniformed man beams with pride.
The man in question is at the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) exhibition at the India International Trade Fair (IITF) and for him this attention is both heart warming and encouraging. He has a lot to be proud about. The CRPF gallery which showcases over 2,100 martyrs and 1,500 gallantry awards, including the Ashoka Chakra, showcases the proud history of the Force.
The walls at the stall are adorned with awe inspiring tales of its slain officers who have laid down their lives in the service of the nation. Not surprisingly, this has generated a lot of interest among visitors to know more about their fallen heroes.
The officers deputed to manage the unit too understand the significance of having heroes like Commandant Chetan Cheetah, Kirti Chakra awardee and Ashoka Chakra awardee Kamlesh Kumari. Even though stories of their bravery is common knowledge now, they provide visitors reading their citations, with little tidbits about their lives.
Yogyan Singh, Director General (Operations), CRPF says, “For the past three years, we are participating in IITF so that people know about our sacrifices and achievements. We wanted to showcase what officers like Cheetah and Kumari who are our pride, have done for the nation.”
Singh adds that this year, the CRPF gallery is also highlighting the accomplishments of its women officers and troops.
The entire section inspires patriotic goosebumps. Especially popular here is the CRPF’s celebrated unit — Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA). The men and the state-of-the-art weaponry is a hit among selfie lovers and so is the music that the CRPF official band plays in the background.
“We have also brought in the Rapid Action Force to inform people about the job they are doing in protecting their motherland,” says Singh.
HEAD HELD HIGH
- The gallery displays over 2,100 martyrs and 1,500 gallantry awards
- The walls carry awe-inspiring tales of its fallen heroes
- Among the stories are of Kirti Chakra awardee Chetan Cheetah, and Ashoka Chakra awardee Kamlesh Kumari
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