133 Battalion of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will felicitate the family members of the martyrs, who lost their lives while fighting with anti-national elements, during the raising day ceremony at its headquarters here on April 1. The Battalion so far has lost a total of 35 officers and Jawans since its inception in 1994.
“An effort is being made to bring the family members of all 35 martyrs belonging to the Battalion out of which 16 have given their consent to be present here during the ceremony. Their family members will be felicitated and presented a shawl along with a memento during the ceremony,” said Sub-Inspector Rajeev Kumar. Rest of the 19 families expressed their inability to attend the programme due to their prior engagements on that very day, he added.
Kumar said that the purpose behind the whole effort was to give martyrs’ families to make feel that the Battalion could never forget the sacrifices made by their loved ones.
“This is just an attempt to make them feel proud and also to give Martyrs’ family members a sense that they are still a part and parcel of the Battalion and could never be forgotten,” said Kumar. The programme also includes cultural programme performed by various cultural groups and also by Art, Culture and Youth Affairs Department of the State Government followed by dinner at the Battalion Headquarters, he added.
Singh said that the programme was purely an effort of the Battalion itself, for which no funding has been done or raised from any outside source.
“The Battalion will manage the cost of their fare and the programme from its own resources while some of the sensible organisations of Ranchi have offered to support voluntarily. Dance group ‘Pajeb’ has offered to perform during the programme, while ‘Kaveri Group’ will provide dinner organized in the honour of the guest families and Mintu group will make arrangements for the tent and other requirements free of cost,” Singh said.
Commandant of 133 Battalion Neeraj Pandey, who will be present there during the programme, will hear the problems raised by the family members of the martyrs and try to resolve them.