Paramilitary Forces Skip Holi to Honour CRPF Jawans Killed in Sukma Attack

New Delhi: All paramilitary forces personnel have decided not to celebrate Holi on Monday as a mark of tribute to the 12 CRPF personnel who were killed in a Naxal ambush in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has issued orders that no "regimental function related to Holi celebrations" will be observed at any field formation.

Personnel of sister forces like CISF, BSF, ITBP and SSB expressed their solidarity with the country's largest paramilitary force and announced that they too will not be celebrating the festival of colours in their respective establishments.

"DG (Director General) expresses deepest gratitude to all Patriots for standing shldr2shldr with #ShaheedsOfSukma. Call Of Duty only religion for CRPF (sic)," the CRPF posted on Twitter.

It said the gesture was to express "solidarity" with the family members of the slain men and that the directions are to be followed by the "entire force in letter and spirit".

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) said, "Tributes to the brave martyrs of @crpfindia who made supreme sacrifice in Sukma. No Holi celebration by #ITBP."

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) posted its message on Twitter saying: "CISF Salutes to the Martyrs of CRPF @Sukma...Prayers for the CRPF Martyrs n their families #R.I.P.#No Holi Celebrations@CISF (sic)."

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, too, has said he will not celebrate the festival in view of the Sukma ambush. In one of the deadliest attacks on security forces this year, 12 CRPF personnel were killed and their arms looted when Naxalsambushed their patrol party in the Maoist hotbed of Sukma in Chhattisgarh on March 11.

The slain personnel were cremated with state honours at their native places yesterday even as a team of senior Home Ministry officials led by Senior Security Advisor K Vijay Kumar and acting CRPF Director General Sudeep Lakhtakia toured the ambush site on motorbikes on Saturday.

The paramilitary forces, also called Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), work under the command of the Home Ministry and are tasked to render internal security tasks, border guarding duties and a host of other law and order duties.