Amit Shah honours police martyrs on Commemoration Day, hails naxalism-free India
Synopsis
On Police Commemoration Day 2026, Home Minister Amit Shah marked a double milestone: honouring 36,852 fallen officers at the National Police Memorial while declaring India finally free of Naxalism — a movement that killed over 3,600 security personnel and 13,700 civilians across four decades. Shah also praised CAPF for delivering West Bengal's first violence-free assembly election in recent memory.
Key Takeaways
Amit Shah paid tribute at the National Police Memorial, Chanakyapuri on 21 October 2026 , Police Commemoration Day.
India was declared free from Naxalism on 31 March 2026 , ending violence that dated back to 1981 .
More than 3,600 security personnel and nearly 13,700 civilians were killed in Naxal violence over four decades.
154 new names were added to the memorial this year, bringing the total to 36,852 martyred officers.
Police Commemoration Day marks the killing of 10 CRPF personnel in Ladakh's Hot Springs by Chinese forces on 21 October 1959 .
CAPF was commended for completing West Bengal Assembly elections without a single poll-related death.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on 21 October 2026 paid tribute to fallen police personnel at the National Police Memorial in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, on Police Commemoration Day, declaring that the sacrifices of security forces had laid the foundation for a naxalism-free India. Shah attended the solemn ceremony alongside senior officials and families of martyred personnel.
Honouring the Fallen
Addressing the gathering, Shah said, 'It is my great privilege to be present here among all of you at the National Police Memorial on the occasion of Police Commemoration Day. Today, we have gathered here to pay tribute to the brave police personnel who have made the supreme sacrifice in the service of the nation from Independence to the present day.'
The memorial now bears the names of 36,852 police personnel martyred in the line of duty. This year, 154 more brave personnel were added to the list, their names read out by DIB Mahesh as a formal tribute.
End of Naxalism: A Historic Milestone
Shah described 2026 as a particularly significant year for Indian policing, noting that the country was declared free from Naxalism on 31 March 2026 after decades of left-wing extremist violence. 'From 1981 until March 2026, the country suffered greatly because of Naxalism,' he said, adding that more than 3,600 security personnel were martyred and nearly 13,700 innocent civilians were killed over that period.
'If the country is now moving forward on the path of development after overcoming this decades-old problem, the sacrifice of these 3,600 personnel forms the foundation of that progress,' Shah said, expressing the nation's gratitude to the families of the fallen.
The Origins of Police Commemoration Day
Shah recalled the historical significance of 21 October, tracing its roots to 1959, when 10 CRPF personnel were killed in the Hot Springs area of Ladakh while defending against a Chinese forces attack. Since then, the date has been observed annually as Police Commemoration Day. The National Police Memorial itself was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018.
CAPF Praised for Violence-Free Bengal Elections
Shah also commended the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) for overseeing the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections without a single poll-related death. He noted that electoral violence had claimed 25 to 200 lives in previous Bengal election cycles, calling the peaceful conduct this year a landmark achievement. 'Everyone believes that the country has become free from electoral violence,' he added.
As India marks another Police Commemoration Day, the government's focus on internal security — from dismantling Naxal networks to ensuring peaceful elections — signals a continued push to consolidate hard-won gains in law and order across the country.
Point of View
But the government has yet to publish an independent audit of the metrics used to make it. Decades of Naxal violence exacted a documented human cost, and credit to the security forces is well-founded; what is less clear is whether the structural conditions — poverty, land disputes, governance deficits — that historically fuelled recruitment into Naxal ranks have been durably addressed. The praise for violence-free elections in West Bengal is also notable: it arrives just after results, and the political framing around CAPF's role invites scrutiny of whether security success will be leveraged in ongoing Centre-state tensions over the state.
NationPress
21 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Police Commemoration Day and why is it observed on 21 October?
Police Commemoration Day is observed every year on 21 October to honour police and security personnel who died in the line of duty. The date marks 21 October 1959, when 10 CRPF personnel were killed in an attack by Chinese forces in the Hot Springs area of Ladakh — the first major post-Independence loss of police lives in a border conflict.
When was India declared free from Naxalism?
India was declared free from Naxalism on 31 March 2026, according to Home Minister Amit Shah. The Naxal insurgency had caused violence since 1981, resulting in the deaths of more than 3,600 security personnel and nearly 13,700 civilians.
How many police personnel are commemorated at the National Police Memorial?
The National Police Memorial in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, now bears the names of 36,852 martyred police personnel. In 2026, 154 new names were added to the memorial, as read out by DIB Mahesh during the ceremony.
What did Amit Shah say about the West Bengal elections?
Shah praised CAPF personnel for overseeing the West Bengal Assembly elections without a single poll-related death — a stark contrast to previous election cycles in the state, which he said had seen between 25 and 200 deaths per election. He called it a landmark moment in ending electoral violence.
Who inaugurated the National Police Memorial?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the National Police Memorial in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, in 2018. The memorial is dedicated to police personnel from across the country who have been martyred in service.
