Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Valour Day is observed on 9 April. On this day in 1965, a small contingent of CRPF fought against a Pakistani brigade on Sardar Post in the Rann of Kutch, Gujarat. The CRPF men eliminated 34 Pakistani soldiers and captured four alive.
CRPF stands for Central Reserve Police Force. It was first under the name Crown Representative’s Police and came into existence on July 2,1939. It became the Central Reserve Police Force on the enactment of the CRPF Act on December 28,1949. Its mission is to enable the government to maintain Rule of Law, Public Order, and Internal Security effectively and efficiently and to preserve National Integrity, and Promote Social Harmony and Development by upholding the supremacy of the constitution. CRPF, one of India’s five central armed police forces (CAPF), was formed in 1939. It is the largest of the five forces by active personnel and is tasked with maintaining law and order and counter-insurgency.
On the intervening night of 8 and 9 April 1965, about 3500 men of 51st Infantry of the Pakistani Army invaded India at Sardar Post.The Pakistani Army comprised 18 Punjab Battalion, 8 Frontier Rifles, and 6 Baluch battalion. Their mission was to capture the Indian territory defended by the post. The post was guarded by two battalions of CRPF – roughly 150 soldiers. Compared to the Pakistani Army, the CRPF soldiers were no match in terms of the arsenal. Additionally, the terrain was disadvantageous for the defending forces.A fight ensued in which the Pakistani Army made three attempts to overrun the post. But the CRPF soldiers thwarted every attempt with a brilliant display of courage and strategic intelligence.
The battle lasted for 12 hours. In the end, the Pakistani Army fled the battleground leaving behind 34 of their own dead, which included two officers. Another four soldiers were captured alive.On that night, the CRPF lost six of its brave soldiers. Ever since the day is celebrated by the CRPF as Valour Day.The CRPF marks this heroic moment every year as ShauryaDiwas (Valour Day).
The CRPF is headed by a Director General who is an Indian Police Service officer and is divided into ten administrative sectors, each headed by an Inspector General. Each Sector consists of one or more administrative and/or Operational Ranges, headed by an officer of the rank of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police. Now, Group Centres are also headed by DIGs. The Financial Advisor of the CRPF has been an Indian Revenue Service officer of the rank of Joint Secretary and also has Dy Advisors from the Indian Audit and Accounts Service or the Indian Telecom. Service and Indian Civil Account Service.
There are 243 battalions, (including 204 executive Bns, 6 MahilaBns, 15 RAF Bns, 10 CoBRABns, 5 Signal Bns, and 1 Special Duty Group, 1 Parliament Duty Group), of approximately 1200 constables each. Each battalion is commanded by a commanding officer of the rank Commandant and consists of seven CRPF companies, each containing 135 men. Each company is headed by an Assistant Commandant.The CRPF force is organized into a Headquarters three attached wings and four zones. A zone is either headed by an additional director general or a special director general. A zone is sub-divided into sectors where each sector is headed by an inspector general.
