Defense Minister Rajnath Singh paid tribute to the martyred soldiers of various police forces on the occasion of Police Memorial Day. He said that today roads, hospitals, schools and colleges have reached the areas of the country which earlier trembled due to the terror of Naxalites. The areas which were once strongholds of Naxalites are today becoming educational hubs. Today the children there are using mobile phones, computers and dreaming big. The areas of India which were notorious as Red Corridors have now turned into Growth Corridors. The government has been able to bring about so many changes and our police forces and security forces have contributed a lot in this.
The Defense Minister said that this is a day to remember the sacrifice of our police and all paramilitary forces who have dedicated themselves to the security of the country. He said that for a long time, Naxalism has been a problem for our internal security. There was a time when many districts of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra were affected by Naxalism. Schools in the villages were closed, there were no roads, and people lived in fear, but we decided not to let this problem progress further. The way our police, CRPF, BSF and local administration worked together in an organized manner is praiseworthy.
The Defense Minister said that our combined efforts over the last several years are bearing fruit. The entire country is now confident that there will be no trace of this problem by next year. This year also many top Naxalites have been eliminated. The number of Naxal affected districts is now very less and that too will end by March next year.
He said that if people are able to sleep peacefully at night, it is because they believe that there is an army on the border and the police are ready in the streets. This trust is the biggest definition of security. This trust is the first condition for the stability of the country. Today the citizens of the country have confidence that if something wrong happens to them, the police will stand by.
He said that whether it is army or police, both are different pillars of the country’s security. That is why I believe that no matter who the enemy is, whether he comes from across the border or is hidden among us, whoever stands for the security of India is a representative of the same soul. The platform of army and police is different, but their mission is the same, to protect the nation.
The Defense Minister says that society and police are equally dependent on each other. Any society can move towards peace and progress only when the feeling of security, justice and trust is strong within it. He said that as a government, we have not only focused on the security of the country but also on our police forces engaged in the security of the country.
Our government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also established the National Police Memorial in 2018 to pay our respects and keep the memory of our police comrades alive. Apart from this, we have provided the police with modern weapons as well as better facilities. Adequate resources are also being given to the states for the modernization of police forces. Today our police forces have modern means like surveillance systems, drones, forensic laboratories and digital policing.
The Defense Minister said that amidst all these facilities being provided to the police, I would also like to say that as a nation we have a lot of challenges, but to deal with those challenges, we have limited resources. Therefore, we also have to pay attention to making maximum use of those resources. And this work can be done only when we work in coordination with the security agencies. The Defense Minister said that only a strong police can build a strong nation, and this should be our aim.