Arunachal Pradesh Police observed Police Commemoration Day with a solemn ceremony at the Police Training Centre (PTC) in Banderdewa, honouring personnel who laid down their lives in the line of duty. Chief Minister Pema Khandu paid tribute to the fallen, saluting their sacrifices and reaffirming the state’s support for their families, while the wreath-laying ceremony at the newly-built Martyrs Column formed the centrepiece of the observance.
Tributes From the Top Leadership
“My salute to the brave personnel who laid down their lives in the line of duty,” Khandu said, adding that the state government remains committed to extending support to the families of the martyred personnel. Home Minister Mama Natung, Advisor to the Home Minister Mutchu Mithi, Director General of Police Anand Mohan and other senior officials joined the ceremony, along with the families of the fallen heroes. A Guard of Honour was presented and a minute of silence observed in memory of the departed. The ceremony reflected a force increasingly recognised both for courage in the line of duty and for community-oriented initiatives such as the Muskaan child safety programme.
A Legacy Dating to 1959
Police Commemoration Day has been observed across India since 1959, in memory of the 10 police personnel martyred in the Hot Springs ambush in Ladakh on 21 October 1959. Intelligence Bureau officer Karam Singh had led the search party into the border area; seven members of the patrol were captured in the ambush. The day honours police personnel across the country who have died in the line of duty.
National Observances
At the national level, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to police personnel, while Union Home Minister Amit Shah laid a wreath at the National Police Memorial in New Delhi. Shah also flagged off a ‘Fight Against Drugs’ motorcycle rally involving around 90 riders from nine States and Union Territories, with participants drawn from the Central Armed Police Forces and Central Police Organisations, according to the report.
For Arunachal Pradesh, the ceremony at Banderdewa carried added meaning, with the newly-built Martyrs Column becoming a permanent focal point of remembrance. Families of the fallen stood alongside serving officers — a reminder that behind every uniform honoured on the day stands a household that shares in the sacrifice.
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