New Delhi: Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday appealed to all state governments, particularly those of border states to be sympathetic and sensitive to Border Security Force (BSF).
Delivering Rustamji Memorial Lecture, 2023 during the 20th Investiture Ceremony of Border Security Force in New Delhi, Dhankhar also appealed to the citizens in border areas to “be an extension of BSF & to support Border Security Force”. He also called for generating a mechanism to take care of cattle seized by BSF from smugglers.
Noting that BSF personnel face immense challenges in guarding India’s long, complex and porous borders, Dhankhar wanted all states to take all affirmative steps and sensitize their mechanism so that the morale of the BSF is ever sustained high. At the Investiture Ceremony, 35 BSF personnel were awarded, which included 2 Police Medals for Gallantry and 33 Police Medals for Meritorious Service.
Lauding the spirit of BSF personnel, Dhankhar said that they unflinchingly defend India’s borders even in difficult geographic conditions such as Thar desert, Rann of Kutch, snow-clad mountains & dense forests of Northeast. The Vice-President said that India is rising like never before, and an important factor contributing to this rise is its safe and secure borders.
Describing KF Rustamji as a charismatic leader, Dhankhar said, ”He not only set up the BSF but also laid the firm foundations of the Public Interest Litigation in the Indian Judicial System. Under his guidance, BSF evolved into a modern, disciplined and capable force.”
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Mentioning that Rustamji was a member of the first-ever National Police Commission (NCP) set up in 1977, Dhankhar said, “The need for NPC was felt because the largest democracy on the earth was visited by a dark era of emergency in 1975, that saw a large scale human rights violations, the debacle of Institutions, something which the founding fathers of the Constitution never imagined. A large number of people were put behind bars and they had no access to the judiciary.”
Praising Rustamji for the phenomenon of judicial activism in India, Dhankhar said that he laid the ground for India’s first Public Interest Litigation case, Hussainara Khatoon vs State of Bihar which led to the release of 40,000 undertrials all over India who had been languishing in jails much beyond the maximum permissible period.
“If he had sat quietly, those people would have continued to languish in jails. But he tried and succeeded. I state further, never hesitate to try, a failure is only a step towards success,” Dhankhar said.
