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