Jammu, October 21, 2025 – Jammu bowed its head today in quiet respect for the guardians who fell in the line of duty, as Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha led the charge on Police Commemoration Day. At a 9 AM ceremony in Gandhi Nagar’s Police Memorial, Sinha laid wreaths, his words cutting through the morning fog: “We remember the brave who selflessly protect our nation’s integrity and citizens’ safety.” The day, etched since 1959’s Hot Springs ambush in Ladakh where 10 CRPF men perished to Chinese fire, saw events ripple across stations, with 1,000 officers and families joining in.
For our Jammu streets, still etched with August flood scars (4,000 homes lost), it’s a heartfelt nod to those who stand tall amid chaos. From Talab Tillo’s Hindu neighborhoods, where locals lit lamps at 10 AM, to Akhnoor’s Muslim villages sharing stories over midday chai, the tributes flowed. A Sikh elder from Reasi, at a gurdwara gathering by noon, reflected: “Their sacrifice binds our faiths.” Pahari herders in Poonch, pausing patrols, added: “Floods tested us; police saved us.”
Historically, J&K’s police have bled in 1990s militancy and 2019 Pulwama (40 martyred). Today, amid PoK unrest (nine dead last week), it’s a vow for vigilance. Sinha at 11 AM urged: “Their memory inspires.” For Jammu’s 5 million, it’s gratitude in action.