CRPF Shaurya Diwas: Honouring selfless acts of India's bravehearts; history & significance

CRPF Valour Day is observed every year on the 9th of April. It is known as Shaurya Diwas, as it is to commemorate and honours the brave men and women who have selflessly served the nation. The Central Reserve Police Force, which is India’s largest central armed police force unit and comes under the Ministry Of Home Affairs (MHA), is celebrating its 58th Valour Day. It has around 246 battalions and over 30,000 personnel.

The major responsibility of the CRPF is to support the state and Union territory police forces. CRPF personnel are assigned by the government to different locations across India, and their main duty is to uphold the rule of law in the country and fight insurgency in the affected regions of the country. The CRPF is also assigned to assist in protecting government sites and locations against any form of threat and resistance.

CRPF Valour Day: History and Significance

On the intervening night of April 8 and April 9 1965, 3,500 members of Pakistan’s 51st Infantry brigade launched Operation “Desert Hawk” against border operations in the Rann of Kutch. For the first time, a full-fledged infantry brigade engaged the Pakistani army in a battle and came out victorious. A total of six members of the CRPF were martyred in the conflict. 

It was the bravery of head constable Bhawana Ram, who was stationed at the edge of the Sardar post, that led to the elimination of an intruder at the post. Around 34 Pakistani soldiers died in the conflict. Every year this day is observed to recognise the bravery and heroics of those soldiers.

CRPF's primary role is to assist state and union territories in the maintaining law and order situation and counter-insurgency ops. It came into existence as the Crown’s representative police on 27th July 1939. After Independence, it was named CRPF on the enactment of the CRPF Act on December 28, 1949. 

The CRPF also participated in Sri Lanka Peace-Keeping Operations; they were sent as part of the UN peacekeeping forces to Maldives, Somalia, Namibia and Haiti. They contributed to maintaining political stability in Haiti as part of the Haiti mission. Under the Liberia mission, a fully operational Female police unit was sent there in 2007.  To combat the Naxalite movement in the region, CRPF established a branch known as Commando Battalion for Resolute Action in 2008.