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Rediff.com  » News » Chidambaram pays tribute to the unknown policeman

Chidambaram pays tribute to the unknown policeman

Source: PTI
July 06, 2011 14:23 IST
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Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday said the current year has witnessed the "lowest level" of violence in over a decade due to the efforts of police forces continuously engaging in the "battle" against hostile elements.

"Today, I can say with a sense of satisfaction that the first six months of 2011 have witnessed the lowest level of violence in over a decade.

"It is because these officers, men and women are fighting the battle of India... the battle of the people of India... the battle to secure the people of India. So one must show empathy for them," Chidambaram said after laying the foundation stone for the first-ever super-speciality Referral hospital for paramilitary personnel inĀ  Greater Noida.

The hospital will serve 30 lakh beneficiaries of personnel and families of forces like the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Central Reserve Police Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Sashastra Seema Bal, Border Security Force and the National Security Guard.

"The armed forces keep a vigil on our borders and they fight only when there is a war. Our men and women (of central police forces) have to engage in, what I may describe as 'battle', everyday they are deployed. Not a day passes without an incident in which central armed forces' personnel engage or are engaged by hostile elements in this country," he said.

Chidambaram urged the society to show empathy to these personnel who have a tough life.

Pointing to the decline in violence in the last decade, he said, "How did this happen...? This happened because the so-called dirty work...it's not dirty work...as that famous quote says -- people can rest and sleep in peace just because the dirty work is done by someone else."

"The general perception is that fighting insurgency or militancy or terrorism is a matter that can be left to the uniformed services and rest of the society can take a backseat. I am afraid that the attitude is wrong.

"The rest of the society thinks that they can sleep peacefully and all this work will be done by the armed forces and they don't have to show empathy to the armed forces. I am afraid they are totally wrong," Chidambaram said while unveiling a slew of medical facilities for these forces, which include new hospitals and mobile health care facilities.

"Our first duty is for the welfare of the central armed police forces' personnel. Only a person who is fit in mind and body can discharge his duties," he said while he expressed hope that the 200-bed Referral hospital, being built by the NBCC, will be raised in the next 2.5 years.

The home minister said he was "appalled" to see the working of the medical wing of these forces when he took over.

"When someone is injured, someone is ill or critically injured, he should be saved with the best medical care. I find that we were found wanting (in providing these facilities). The steps that we have taken are satisfactory, not entirely sufficient, but satisfactory.

"When I took over, I was appalled to see the state of affairs in provision of medical services for our Central Armed Police Forces personnel. There were infra-structural deficiencies, there were not enough hospital either at the battalion level...at the worst was the huge number of vacancies in the sanctioned posts of medical personnel," Chidambaram said.

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