The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is set to hold its Raising Day function in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh for the first time, as per officials familiar with the matter. The region is known for being a hub of left-wing extremism.
The celebration on March 19 will take place in Jagdalpur, specifically in Karanpur, which is the headquarters of 204 and 201 COBRA battalion. The parade will be held there and preparations for the event are already underway, with infrastructure being put in place for the occasion. The location is about 15 km from Jagdalpur airport. The move to hold the event in Bastar is seen as a significant step towards showing the CRPF’s dedication to the region and its fight against extremism.
Bastar along with other districts in Chhattisgarh such as Sukma, Dantewada and Bijawara have witnessed major attacks by Maoist groups in the past prompting the paramilitary force to launch counter offensive operations.
The CRPF, which is the largest paramilitary force in the country, had celebrated its 83rd CRPF Day in Jammu last year.
There are four zones – Jammu and Kashmir zone, Central Zone, Northeast zone and the Southern zone — each headed by a special director general.
Under each zone there are different sectors, each headed by an inspector general under whom there are several battalions.
Chhattisgarh sector comes under the administrative jurisdiction of the central zone.
The CRPF was entrusted the task of anti-naxal operations there in 2003.
There are 6 COBRA battalions in the Chhattisgarh sector. Cobra battalion is a specialised force within the CRPF where personnel specialise in guerrilla warfare.
