Raipur: CRPF troops across the country
will take a "Chintalnar pledge" on Wednesday with a vow to wipe
out "anti-national forces" as they remember their 75
colleagues who were killed exactly a year ago in a deadly
Naxal ambush in Chhattisgarh`s Dantewada.
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) headquarters
in Delhi has sent an oath message from the chief of the force
to all formations that "every single member of the force" will
take the oath and has asked senior officers like Inspectors
General (IGs) and Deputy Inspectors General (DIGs) to ensure
compliance of the order taking it as a "personal challenge and
responsibility".
On April 6 last year, armed Naxalites had ambushed
an entire company of the force at Chintalnar in Dantewada
killing 75 CRPF men and a state police official, giving a
severe blow to the force in its anti-Naxal operations.
"We remember our colleagues with a heavy heart who on
this day April 6 (2010), sacrificed their lives, in the prime
of their youth, fighting for the nation.
These colleagues of ours had come from different
states, belonged to different religions, were trained together
for a common cause, stayed together, dined together in the
same langar and together fought against forces inimical to the
safety and integrity of the nation.
"We will not let their sacrifices go in vain and
pledge that we will not rest till we completely defeat these
anti-national forces," the message said.
The force headquarters has also sent a Hindi version
of the oath to the formation units.
"The Dantewada ambush was a big blow for the force.
Never ever such a large number of trained and armed personnel
of a trained police force have been killed and hence the force
took this incident as a challenge. The oath has been prepared
by top CRPF officers in order to unite them as one unit," a
senior CRPF officer said.
The CRPF headquarters has also instructed senior
officers that "all formations according to their duties,
convenience (should) take this pledge but without fail with
maximum number of personnel."
The order states that during the time when the pledge
is being taken by the personnel, security of the forces` camps
and posts should not be compromised.
"Compliance to this instruction is also a test of
communication and command at all levels," the order said.
PTI
