A nine-year-old horse named ‘Black Beauty’, and a seven-and-half-year-old Belgian Shepherd dog “Machhli’ of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) were decorated with special service medals by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday on the occasion of the 56th Raising Day Parade of ITBP held in Greater Noida.
These four-legged soldiers accompany troops in combat zones for sanitisation exercises and logistical tasks and were decorated with special medals ‘Best Horse’ and the ‘Best Canine’ medals given exclusively for them on lines of those given to troops.
‘Black Beauty’ came from the force’s basic training centre near Chandigarh and ‘Machhli’ belonged to the 29th battalion deployed in Chhattisgarh. While the horses ferry rations for troops on border considered lifeline of ITBP’s high altitude posts, dogs help in detecting explosives in Naxal-hit areas.
This is the second time that a security force had taken such a step and given special medals for them. Earlier, the exemplary work by the four-legged soldiers in ITBP was recognised by issuing regular commendation cards.
ITBP officers said ‘Black Beauty’ had won a silver medal at the national riding games while it always won gold at police games. “Black Beauty has been one of the top riding horses in Army games as well,” an officer said.
Machhli, on the other hand, is credited with sanitising events attended by VVIPs. She sniffed out a large number of IEDs planted by Naxals in Rajnandgaon area. “Once, in Iragaon village there, she tracked an IED which the local police failed to find in three attempts,” the officer said.
The force has made a beginning in recognising the exemplary and loyal support of these animals, which accompany the men in uniform, whether in operations or any task in the internal security domain, the officer said. The ITBP is also credited with inducting Belgian Malinois dogs into anti-Naxal operations and other tough assignments like infantry patrols.
The ITBP also has a strong animal transport unit comprising horses, mules and ponies to aid troops guarding the high-altitude posts along the 3,488 km long China border.
Apart from border guarding, the ITBP is also deployed for anti Naxal operations and other Internal Security duties. The 80,000-strong ITBP was raised in 1962 in the aftermath of the Chinese aggression.
On this occasion, President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service was conferred on six jawans while 26 other personnel were honoured with Police Medal for Meritorious Service.