M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, April 2: The 134 battalion of the CRPF celebrated its 29th Raising Day at a function held at its base in Daltonganj.
The Raising Day was followed by a grand gala cultural programme and ‘Bada Khana.
‘Bada Khana’ holds immense importance in the central paramilitary forces and from jawans, to officers all look forward to it. Sources said this Bada Khana was special in the sense that it came after two years of the horror of the Covid pandemic.
The 134 Bn paid homage to the martyrs. Sainik Sammelan was also held on the occasion, said Sudesh Kumar, the Commandant of the 134 Bn of the CRPF.
The 134 Bn of the CRPF is based on the campus of the GLA College in Daltonganj.
“Our chief guest was our DIG Vinay Negi while SP Palamu Chandan Kumar Sinha and two of our commandants P K Sahoo (112 Bn) and R R Sahay ( 214Bn) graced the occasion in all modesty,” said Commandant Sudesh Kumar.
The highlight of the cultural programme was that jawans and officials were the performers on the stage.
Sudesh said, “90 percent of the performers on the stage were our men only. The men in uniform were singers and there were a couple of children.”
Sources said there was no standup comedy ostensibly because the CRPF is seen as a force known for discipline and guts.
About Sainik Sammelan, Sudesh said it is an integral part of the CRPF family. It provides a suitable platform for interfacing and interactive sessions with the jawans.
The jawans are encouraged and motivated to live up to the job they are cut out for. They are made aware of the tasks set by the government.
Sudesh said the Sainik Sammelan is a kind of pool between the higher-ups and downs in the line of the workforce.
Reminded that episodes of jawans going berserk in the camp often end up with killings of colleagues across the country to which the cool commandant Sudesh Kumar said there can’t be any more a big tragedy than this.
He agreed that such tragic episodes do occur. “We all wish it should not,” he said.
Stress and anxiety play a major role in jawans going into senseless acts of violence. Suicidal tendency among a few of them too is not to be ruled out.
“When our jawans come back from leave we try to find out all is well with them. If there is an instance when it comes to our notice that any jawan is keeping aloof, sitting alone, wears a look of total detachment from the workplace, or has a drooping face and morale down, we start to uncoil such a jawan to help him to again return to the mainstream of life and job,” said Commandant Sudesh.
“A Choupal is held where jawans share their feelings and emotions. It gives them a chance to vent their spleen,” he added.
Sources said the CRPF in the Palamu range has maintained the sanctity and dignity of human rights to a great extent.
The CPI Maoists have always tried to create a wedge between the rural people and the CRPF spinning stories of the alleged excesses of the CRPF but there has been the least acceptability of the propaganda of the Maoists by the rural folks.
