CM Bhajan Lal Sharma Salutes ITBP on 64th Raising Day
Synopsis
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma saluted ITBP personnel on the force's 64th Raising Day on 24 October 2026, honouring their service on snow-capped Himalayan peaks along the Line of Actual Control with China.
Key Takeaways
ITBP completed 64 years on 24 October 2026 , having been raised on the same date in 1962 following the Sino-Indian War.
Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma extended greetings to all ITBP personnel via a post on X, tagging @ITBP_official .
Sharma highlighted the force's motto 'Shaurya-Dridhata-Karmanishttha' — 'Valour, Fortitude, Dedication to Duty' — calling it a national inspiration.
ITBP operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs and guards the Line of Actual Control with China in high-altitude Himalayan terrain.
The tribute follows a standard practice among Indian political leaders of issuing public messages on the raising days of Central Armed Police Forces.
Sixty-four years after the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) was raised in the crucible of the 1962 Sino-Indian War, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma offered a warm tribute to the force's personnel on its Raising Day, 24 October 2026 — honouring the men and women who stand guard on some of the world's most punishing terrain.
In a post on X addressed to @ITBP_official, CM Sharma wrote in Hindi: 'विषम परिस्थितियों और बर्फीली चोटियों पर अडिग रहकर मां भारती की रक्षा करने वाले' — ('those who remain steadfast on adverse terrain and snow-capped peaks, guarding Mother India'). He saluted the force's guiding motto of 'Shaurya-Dridhata-Karmanishttha' ('Valour, Fortitude, Dedication to Duty'), calling it a source of inspiration for every citizen.
Born from a border crisis, forged on the high Himalayas
The ITBP was established on 24 October 1962, just weeks into the war that exposed the vulnerability of India's Himalayan frontier. Raised specifically to secure the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, the force operates at altitudes that defeat most human endurance — glacial passes, sub-zero outposts, and snowbound ridgelines where the air itself is thin. It functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs and remains one of India's five Central Armed Police Forces.
Sharma's message captured that physical reality directly, describing a commitment maintained through 'the most difficult circumstances imaginable' — language that moves beyond ceremony to acknowledge the daily cost of high-altitude duty.
Why state leaders speak on ITBP's Raising Day
Indian political leaders — from the Prime Minister to Chief Ministers — routinely mark the raising days of Central Armed Police Forces with public messages. It is standard national-security messaging, but it also signals a shared civil-military compact: that border security is a collective national responsibility, not just a central government concern. For a Chief Minister whose state of Rajasthan itself shares a sensitive international border, the gesture carries an added layer of resonance.
Point of View
Serving a dual function: they affirm civilian regard for the security apparatus and project the sender as committed to national defence. For CM Sharma, a state-level BJP leader, tagging ITBP's official handle extends his political messaging into the national-security space, a domain his party consistently prioritises. The choice to quote the force's Latin-free, Hindi motto verbatim — 'Shaurya-Dridhata-Karmanishttha' — adds cultural texture that resonates with a vernacular audience. Cumulatively, such gestures reinforce a broader BJP-era political grammar in which border security is framed as a shared civilisational duty rather than a technocratic policy matter.
NationPress
24 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When was ITBP established and why?
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police was established on 24 October 1962 in direct response to the Sino-Indian War to secure India's Himalayan frontier along the Line of Actual Control with China.
What is ITBP's motto?
ITBP's motto is 'Shaurya-Dridhata-Karmanishttha' , which translates to 'Valour, Fortitude, and Dedication to Duty'.
Which ministry does ITBP come under?
ITBP functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs and is classified as one of India's Central Armed Police Forces.
Who is Bhajan Lal Sharma?
Bhajan Lal Sharma is the Chief Minister of Rajasthan and a senior BJP leader who assumed office in December 2023 .
Where is ITBP deployed?
ITBP is primarily deployed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in high-altitude Himalayan sectors, operating at some of the most extreme elevations of any paramilitary force in the world.
