Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday, 21 October paid solemn homage to police martyrs at the National Police Memorial (NPM) in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, marking Police Commemoration Day — an annual observance that traces its origins to a deadly ambush in 1959. Shah also flagged off a nationwide motorcycle rally from the capital as part of a broader 'Fight Against Drugs' campaign.

The Motorcycle Rally and Its Route

CRPF Director General Gyanendra Pratap Singh briefed the Home Minister on the rally's scope and logistics before the flag-off. The rally features approximately 90 police riders drawn from states and Union Territories — including Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi — as well as Central Armed Police Forces such as CRPF, CISF, BSF, SSB, ITBP, and NSG, and Central Police Organisations including RPF, NDRF, and NIA.

All participating riders are set to converge at Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, to take part in the Ekta Parade on 31 October, tying the anti-drugs message to the national unity observance.

Tributes at the National Police Memorial

The commemorative proceedings also featured the Shahid Pushtika Rakshak Toli, a ceremonial police squad responsible for safeguarding and presenting the Martyrs' Book during official remembrance services. Tributes were paid to the fallen officers in a joint parade involving Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Delhi Police.

Prior to the ceremony, Shah posted a tribute on social media platform X, writing: 'On Police Commemoration Day, salutations to the martyrs of our police forces who made the supreme sacrifice for the country. Our police personnel have upheld the highest examples of patriotism by offering their lives to shield the honour of the Motherland and protect its citizens. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to them on behalf of the nation.'

Commemorative Events Through October 30

In keeping with previous years, Police Commemoration Day will be observed across the country. CAPFs and Central Police Organisations will organise a series of events at the NPM from 22 to 30 October, including visits by family members of martyrs, Police Band Displays, motorcycle rallies, a Run for Martyrs, blood donation camps, essay and painting competitions for children, and video film screenings showcasing the sacrifice and valour of police personnel.

Why October 21 Is Observed as Police Commemoration Day

The date carries deep historical weight. On 21 October 1959, 10 Indian policemen were killed in an ambush by heavily armed Chinese troops at Hot Springs, Ladakh — one of the earliest violent incidents along the disputed border. Every year since, the day has been set aside to honour all police personnel who have died in the line of duty. In 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the National Police Memorial in Chanakyapuri to the nation on this very day, cementing its status as the country's central site of police remembrance.

As the week of commemorative events unfolds through 31 October, the rally's convergence at Ekta Nagar will serve as both a tribute to fallen officers and a public statement against the drug menace threatening communities across the country.