Kashmir: Independence Day: More medals for cops in anti-Maoist operations than those in J&K | India News

NEW DELHI: In continuation with a trend seen since this year’s Republic Day, the number of police medals awarded on Independence Day eve for gallantry displayed in fighting left-wing extremism (125) have surpassed the count of those announced for personnel engaged in counter-terror operations in J&K (71).

On Monday, 954 police medals were announced, including a President’s Police Medal for Gallantry to be awarded to CRPF assistant commandant Loukrakpam Ibomcha Singh, 229 police medal for gallantry, 82 President’s police medal for distinguished services and 642 police medal for meritorious service.
Kashmir IGP given medal for leading anti-terror operations

CRPF assistant commandant Loukrakpam Ibomcha Singh, part of the paramilitary forces’ Kashmir Valley quick action team, was honoured with PPMG for an operation on June 21, 2020, in which he performed a daring room intervention to neutralise a dreaded terrorist holed up in a building.
As many as 125 or 54% of the 230 gallantry awards recognise acts of bravery in Naxal-hit areas, while 71 or 30% medals honour personnel engaged in fighting terrorism in J&K. Eleven personnel deployed in the North-East are also in the PMG list. Among the various police forces, the maximum gallantry medals have been bagged by J&K police, followed by 33 by Maharashtra police, 27 by CRPF, 24 by Chhattisgarh police and 22 by Tamil Nadu police.
The shift, to some extent, may be explained by the improving security situation in J&K and a lull in operations during Covid lockdown. On the other hand, the fight against Left-wing extremism has entered a decisive state as the counter-Naxal forces move deeper into the CPI (Maoist) bastions in the jungles of Chhattisgarh and adjoining states.
A key PMG awardee this I-Day eve is IGP, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar. He has been leading counter-terror operations in J&K’s Kashmir division from the front.
In terms of the overall tally, there is a tie between CRPF and UP police for the No. 1 spot with 89 medals each, though CRPF’s 29 gallantry medals far surpass the UP police’s 13.