On Martyrs’ Day: Saluting India’s Paramilitary Forces

With over 13 lakh personnel in active duty, the Indian paramilitary forces would be ranked as the fourth largest armed force in the world if they were to be counted as an ‘armed force’ just like the army, navy or the air force.

Over the last few decades a number of new paramilitary forces have been founded and their roles expanded. Today, India’s paramilitary forces are fighting left wing extremism in India’s interiors, guarding the borders, patrolling the seas and fighting terrorists in Kashmir. If that were not enough they’re also protecting our airports, nuclear establishment and railways stations. Apart from these roles, the central paramilitary forces are also called upon to help out in times of crisis such as break down of law and order, natural disasters and elections.

Despite their large numbers and the variety of very important roles they perform, the central paramilitary forces almost always receive lesser media attention. They’re hardly celebrated by the general public. The CRPF jawan fighting Moaists in Chattisgarh’s jungles is as important to India’s security as an Indian Army jawan guarding the line of control (LoC) in Kashmir. It is time some effort was put into informing ourselves about the role and important of India’s paramilitary forces.

Here is quick video introduction to help us understand the types of forces in existence, their roles and specialisations. Do watch!