Rijiju salutes NSG Black Cats on Raising Day
Synopsis
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju marked NSG Raising Day on October 16, 2026 by saluting the Black Cat Commandos for their courage and dedication, invoking the force's Sanskrit motto 'best security everywhere' and honouring a unit constituted in 1984 after India's gravest internal-security crises.
Key Takeaways
Kiren Rijiju , Union Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Minister, greeted NSG personnel on Raising Day, October 16, 2026 .
He quoted the NSG motto 'सर्वत्र सर्वोत्तम सुरक्षा' — meaning 'best security everywhere' — in his tribute.
The National Security Guard was constituted in 1984 as a federal counter-terrorism force following major internal-security incidents.
NSG personnel are operationally known as the Black Cat Commandos , named after their black uniforms and insignia.
The force played a central role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks response, establishing its high-profile operational credentials.
Forty-two years after India stood up a force built for the unthinkable, Union Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju extended warm greetings to every National Security Guard commando and their family on NSG Raising Day, Friday, October 16, 2026 — invoking the force's Sanskrit motto to open his tribute.
Posting on X and tagging @nsgblackcats, Rijiju quoted the NSG's motto 'सर्वत्र सर्वोत्तम सुरक्षा' — 'best security everywhere' — before saluting the Black Cat Commandos for their 'exceptional courage, discipline and dedication' and their commitment to 'keeping the nation safe and standing firm against every threat.'A force born from crisis in 1984
The NSG was constituted in 1984 as India's dedicated federal counter-terrorism contingency force — a direct response to a year that brought the gravest internal-security shocks the republic had faced. Designed from the outset to handle hijackings, hostage rescues and terrorist sieges that exceed the capacity of ordinary police, the force drew its structure from elite units worldwide and has since grown into one of Asia's most closely watched special operations commands.
The 'Black Cat' nickname — drawn from the commandos' all-black uniforms and insignia — has become one of the most recognisable symbols of Indian counter-terrorism capability. The force's urban battle-drills and rapid-deployment doctrine were tested on the national stage during the 2008 Mumbai attacks, when NSG teams led the assault operations across multiple siege sites over four days, an operation that remains a case study in high-stakes urban counter-terrorism.
Raising Day and the ritual of national recognition
Successive governments across party lines have marked the raising days of central armed police forces and special units with official acknowledgment — a practice that affirms civilian oversight and public appreciation of the security apparatus. For a force whose operations are by definition conducted away from cameras and headlines, Raising Day offers a rare moment of visible national salute.
Rijiju, a senior BJP leader representing Arunachal Pradesh — a frontier state that understands security imperatives intimately — carries both the parliamentary and minority-affairs portfolios in the current Union Cabinet, making his voice on national-security occasions one with cross-ministerial weight.
Point of View
But they carry a subtle policy signal: civilian leadership publicly underwriting the legitimacy and morale of specialised security forces. For the NSG — a unit that operates largely out of public view — such acknowledgments from senior Cabinet ministers help sustain recruitment prestige and institutional standing. Rijiju's choice to open with the Sanskrit motto rather than a plain English greeting suggests a deliberate invocation of the force's own self-image, a small but meaningful register of respect. As parliamentary sessions edge toward discussions on security modernisation and budgets, these visible gestures also frame the political ground for any future allocation debates.
NationPress
16 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When is NSG Raising Day celebrated?
NSG Raising Day is celebrated on October 16 each year, marking the date the National Security Guard was constituted in 1984 .
Why are NSG commandos called Black Cats?
NSG commandos are nicknamed Black Cat Commandos because of their distinctive all-black uniforms and black-cat insignia, which became the visual identity of the force.
What does NSG's motto 'सर्वत्र सर्वोत्तम सुरक्षा' mean?
The Sanskrit motto translates to 'best security everywhere' , reflecting the force's mandate to deliver elite counter-terrorism response across any location or threat scenario.
Why was the NSG formed in 1984?
The NSG was constituted in 1984 as a federal contingency force after major internal-security incidents that year demonstrated the need for a dedicated special-operations unit capable of handling hijackings, hostage crises, and terrorist attacks.
What was the NSG's role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks?
NSG teams led the assault operations across multiple siege sites during the 2008 Mumbai attacks , conducting hostage-rescue and neutralisation missions over four days in one of India's most high-profile counter-terrorism operations.
