Shaurya Diwas ~ salute the indomitable courage of CRPF

Today is a day of great significance for the Nation ~  Shaurya Diwas.

 

The Rann of Kutch spans 27,454 km2 (10,600 sq mi) and is located mostly in the Kutch district of the Indian state of Gujarat with a portion extending into the Pakistani province of Sindh.  The Battle of Sardar Post occurred this day in 1965.   

On this day, Nation salutes the indomitable courage and sacrifice of our brave hearts on CRPF. Heartfelt tributes to the martyrs who laid down their lives for the honor and security of nation.

 

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is India's largest Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), operating under the authority of the Ministry of Home Affairs. It is primarily tasked with assisting State and Union Territory governments in maintaining law and order, counter-insurgency, and providing internal security. It was originally raised as the Crown Representative's Police on July 27, 1939, to help protect the British Crown's interests and was renamed the Central Reserve Police Force after the enactment of the CRPF Act on December 28, 1949. 

Today April 9 celebrated as ‘Shaurya Diwas’ is valour day commemorating the 1965 battle at Sardar post in Rann of Kutch where a small CRPF contingent famously repulsed a massive attack by the Pakistani army.   

 

On April 9, 1965, two companies of the 2nd Battalion CRPF valiantly defended the Sardar Post in the Rann of Kutch, Gujarat, fighting off a Pakistani brigade attack, killing 34 enemy soldiers, and capturing four. In the battle, the CRPF lost 6-7 personnel but displayed unparalleled bravery and dedication to duty. Despite being outnumbered by roughly 3,500 soldiers, CRPF personnel held their ground, killing 34 Pakistani soldiers and capturing 4 alive, making it a proud chapter in Indian paramilitary history.  

Operation Desert Hawk was the codename of a military operation planned and executed by the Pakistan Army in the Rann of Kutch area, in the  area which was under Indian control from the long-standing status quo. Pakistan planned to serve several purposes through this operation. First was to assess the response of the Indian government and military.  In January 1965, Pakistan claimed the area of Rann of Kutch on the basis of the Sindh province. The region's terrain and communication network and logistics was favorable to Pakistan with all the approaches to the Rann of Kutch from the Indian side being more difficult than from Pakistan. The Pakistani railway station situated at Badin was 26 miles north of the Indian claim line and Karachi was 113 miles east from the Badin, where the Pakistan Army's 8 Division was based. Pakistan was able to move the troops quickly and easily along the border line. The nearest Indian railway station at Bhuj was located 110 miles from the border and the nearest Indian Army formation, 31 Infantry Brigade situated at Ahmedabad, was 160 miles east of Bhuj railway station.  Pakistan launched a major offensive on the Sardar post comprising a brigade strength   

The British Prime Minister Harold Wilson proposed a ceasefire on 28 April. Both countries signed an agreement to settle the disputed border through international arbitration by the International Court of Justice on 30 June 1965. The ceasefire became effective on 1 July 1965. India and Pakistan both agreed to demarcate the border by a three-member arbitration committee. The possibility of the armed conflict escalation was avoided by the active interventions of the British Prime Minister and the United Nation's Secretary-General. Despite India's repeated protests against the use of US-made weaponry by Pakistan against India, the President of the United States Lyndon B. Johnson took no effective action against Pakistan. Morarji Desai invited around 550 farmers, mostly Sikhs from Punjab, to settle and farm the land for border's safety and security.

 

Today Nation remembers the bravehearts of CRPF - Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other leaders paid tributes to the martyrs at various events, highlighting the force's role in India's internal security, as reported by PIB Delhi.  [photos are from Home Minister’s post]

Jai Jawan !

 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
10.4.2026

 

  

kid - holding !!!

 

What was your immediate thought ! on seeing this ?

I was a bit worried about a kid being carried – not so properly !!

epitome of Bakthi

 

Bow to this bakth and his  deep-rooted commitment in service to Emperuman. 

Dasya Bhakthi -  deep spiritual devotion, love, and participation in the divine

 

Photo taken at Chintadripet - Thiruther of Sri Adhi Kesava Perumal thirukkovil   this morning (10.4.2026)

brain fade ! - man from Jhunjhunnu ... .. man from Texas !!

 

Talent scouting ! – strategizing the last over !!  - a few decades ago, in a limited overs match at Marina ground (30 overs a side - Hindu Trophy) – with 11 required off the last over (a very tough task those days!); someone shouted ____ to bowl – Captain in a confused mind, handed over the ball to that not so regular bowler and was thrashed the required runs in the 5^th ball !! 

These days, especially in IPL with so many brains strategizing every team – almost everything is planned, schemed, rehearsed and still at the final stroke there are brain-fades.  Was not able to immediately understand Ravi Shastri calling an Umpire – Man from Texas !! – yesterday there were so many web searches about Jhunjhunu !  

                                                    Jhunjhunu is a city and municipal council in the state of Rajasthan.  It is  the biggest city of the Shekhawati region. Shekhawati derives its name from Maha Rao Shekha, a prominent Kachwaha Rajput chieftain who founded the region in the 15th century. The name is derived from the combination of "Shekha" (the name of the founder) and "wati," meaning "garden". 

IPL is very entertaining providing many nail baiting thrillers with results decided in the last delivery !!  yesterday match between KKR & LSG was another.

 

The score read 128 for 7, the target was 182, - there was an young batter, whom I had not heard of –  he had Avesh Khan and potentially two more bowlers left as partners.  Mukul Choudhary a wicket keeper batsman from Jhunjhunu – could not read Sunil Narine - three misses in four balls  meant Choudhary had scored just two off six deliveries. The jumbotron in the stadium flashed "54 needed off 24". 

Web searches revealed that he had impressive U23 level and had scored well in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025-26 at a strike rate of 198.85, following which he was picked by Lucknow Super Giants at the IPL 2026 auction for INR 2.60 crore.  In a match against Delhi, he hit  62* off just 26 balls with seven sixes for Rajasthan   taking his side home in a chase of 176.   

Mukul made some lusty hits of Green and every other bowler and farmed the strike literally not allowing Avesh to bat at all.  Still it  was anybody's game when LSG required 14 off the final over, with three wickets in hand.   Avesh Khan got a single off the first ball, perhaps some loose fielding strategy by Ajinkya Rahane.  Mukul monstered Vaibhav Arora over square leg for six. Arora responded with two dots, then with 7 required off 2 – a classic great shot for six over deep cover leveled the scores.  The final delivery, Mukul moved, swung, missed – Avesh was already sprinting, Angrish Raghuvanshi with gloves could hit the stumps.  A run – LSG had won and another new hero Mukul Choudhary  was born ! 

In the last five overs, Mukul his seven sixers – each one an improvement than the previous.   Choudhary finished unbeaten on 54 off 27 and LSG completed a win that had all but slipped away from them.  In that  unbroken 54-run partnership with Avesh Khan,  Avesh faced just 3 balls and took that all important single off the first ball of 20^th over and the final bye !!  LSG scouts can take reasonable pride in finding such a player and grabbing him   for INR 2.6 crore. 

Just a day earlier, in the 14^th match at Delhi – it was brain fade.  GT made 210 and DC made a great chase.   In over no. 19, Mohammad Siraj leaked 23 and 13 were required off the last.   Gill tasked Prasidh Krishna to bowl the final over. He had leaked 41 in earlier 3.   Vipraj Nigam was on strike – 1^st ball was swung clean for a 4 but got out in the 2^nd.  DC now needed nine off four, Kuldeep deflected the first ball he faced for a single, bringing David Miller on strike.  Then a length delivery was clobbered long long way by Miller.  Now just 2 required off 2 !!!  Miller hit the ball  long but inexplicably refused a single to take it all upon himself to finish the deal.  Prasidh bowled a slower one, Miller swiped and missed, Butler collecting could hit the stumps and Kuldeep was run out.   If that single had been taken – scores would have tied and Kuldeep would have been free to swing the bat in whatever manner !! – poor thinking by Miller – a brain fade. 

Recall that 1999 Cricket World Cup semi-final, Allan Donald   involved in an infamous run-out against Australia.  That day at Edgbaston, South Africa needed nine to win in the last over. Lance Klusener,  was on strike against Damien Fleming. Klusener picked up boundaries off the first two balls of the over, the scores were now level but in the event of a tie, Australia would go through to the final on account of their higher finish in the Super Six. Steve Waugh brought the field in. Klusener hit the third ball of the over to Darren Lehmann but stayed put, while Donald set off. He survived as  Lehmann’s direct hit missed the stumps at the non-striker’s end. Klusener hit the next ball to mid-on and set off. This time Donald did not run. Mark Waugh picked up the ball, but his throw missed the stumps at the non-striker’s end. Fleming gathered the ball and rolled it along the ground towards Adam Gilchrist.  It beat Donald, who had finally started to run but had lost his bat in the process, by a considerable margin. Australia qualified. That earned SA the chokers tag !!    

Remember that historic Tied test at Chepauk in Sept 1986.  Despite scoring a mammoth 574/7 dec in the first innings, thanks  to a double hundred by Dean Jones and centuries by David Boon and skipper Allan Border, Australia was on the brink of defeat in a contest where there was no love lost between the sides. India conceded a 177-run lead at the end of the first innings, with captain Kapil Dev contributing with a hundred. Set a target of 348 in the final innings, India looked to be cruising at the midway point with the top order providing excellent support to veteran opener Sunil Gavaskar. After Gavaskar fell, with the score at 204, the visitor clawed its way back, sweeping through the lower order.   At one point of time India needed to score 40 with 5 wickets in hand.   Then wickets fell in a heap – when last man Maninder Singh came to bat – India needed 4 to win.  Ravi Shastri took two of the first ball, then one off the second.  Was he right in exposing Maninder and not closing the match by himself would remain a moot debate.  Maninder had to score a solitary run !!   he had 3 balls, with all fielders getting closer – he was adjudged LBW to Graig Matthews and it was a historic tie.    

 

Years later, Ravi Shastri in a show, talking to Sunil Gavaskar said it was a well-thought decision, Maninder had actually played the ball but the Umpire had lifted his finger so swift as if he was ‘the man from Texas’ -  referring a Western film    starring James Craig as Tobias Simms, a notorious outlaw (often called "the El Paso Kid") who attempts to abandon his criminal life to live peacefully with his wife, Zee.  But while the match made many a career, it ended that of Indian umpire V. Vikramraju, who had given Maninder out leg before.  

Mukul does not look big and very powerful but, but, read his comment :  "My body is a little powerful, and that has come to me naturally," he said of his six-hitting ability. "I also practise hitting 100-150 sixes every day, so the bat speed develops if you keep doing it. I have been practicing a lot for the last five to six months, so it has come into my game." 

Well done … .. when it comes to the moment, not all brains remain agile.

 

Regards – S Sampathkumar
10.4.2026