Every night, when I and you sleep peacefully, two families mourn the death of CRPF jawans killed in action. Yes, every week around 15 CRPF men get killed. Men in uniform die for the country. But, then, with CISF and other Para-military forces, it’s almost a murder by the state. Your blood will boil if you know how these forces are treated by the government. Every country has an army to protect the border, and police forces for internal security and law & Order. In India, law & order is the subject of the state, and each state has its police force. In addition to that, the central government maintains a huge force, stationed at strategic locations all over the country, which is made available to the states in case of emergency. This is the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). It is this CRPF which is used for tackling internal threats like the naxalites. Thus, the CRPF is always in action, unlike the Army, which sees action only when the armed conflict is closer to the border, like Kashmir or NE states. Thus, the causalities are less in Army. The highest casualty in the army in the recent past was Kargil, where it lost 527 men. Whereas in the CRPF, in last 4 years, 3364 men were killed in action. Clearly, these forces need to be taken good care by the government. But, the government does the exact opposite. They are overworked and continuously deployed in the field, at times for 5 years, while the army rotates its men every 2 years. The budget for training and deployment is peanuts compared to the army. The CRPF men get no pension. While 60% of the army men get quarters, just 11% of CRPF men get quarters. After retirement, the directorate of Sainik welfare takes care of post-employment of army men. CRPF men are left to fend themselves. What more, death in duty for CRPF doesn’t even earn Martyr tittle, while in army, martyrs are rightly venerated. This is not to say that Indian Army is getting pampered! No far from it! What the army men get are the minimum a professional force needs to get. It only highlights, what the CRPF is denied of. The CRPF men are demoralized and losing their teeth to fight. They have become easy target to the naxalites. That’s how they are killed with regularity. Now, doesn’t the attitude of the governments towards the CRPF borders on criminal negligence? And why it is so? It’s because, there is nobody to speak for the CRPF! Democracy favors those who have the voice. Imagine all cities in the country going for candle light marches, protests and petitions. Can any democratic government ignore that? It won’t. It will wake up and ensure that CRPF is treated professionally, and it becomes a force to reckon with. Isn’t it the need of the hour, when the naxalites are termed as the most dangerous threat to the country? So, can we raise our voice on this issue? Drops make the ocean, and will force the government to wake up. I hope some organization or NGO will take up the cause of CRPF. Please share this post or read and write yourself about this issue in public space. Every word you share, will not only contribute to making the country more peaceful, but, will make a better future for hundreds of children of the CRPF men.
Posted on: Thu, 11 Dec 2014 17:47:53 +0000
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