The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has embarked upon a unique way of paying tribute to soldiers of the Pulwama terror attack: By planting trees! In memory of the 40 jawans martyred in Kashmir on February 14, the CRPF has planted 40 saplings inside its Recruit Training Centre (RTC) at Humhama, such that the memory of the jawans lives on for eternity.
A patch of land inside the RTC has been earmarked for this purpose, and each tree will have a placard with the name, rank and address of the martyred soldier. "We will not forget and we will not forgive. This is our mission towards the martyrs. Through this mission, we will ensure the martyrs remain immortal in memory," said Anil Kumar Singh, deputy inspector general of CRPF and head of the RTC in Humhuma, adding that the staff have been instructed to take care of the trees and ensure they are well watered and tended to.
"We chose our 30th raising day to plant the trees. All cultural and entertainment programmes were cancelled this year. Only two programmes were organised: A blood donation camp and the tree plantation drive. We planted 500 trees that day, of which 40 were dedicated to the Pulwama martyrs," Singh added.
Once the trees grow, the CRPF also plans to have the martyrs' families visit the park. "When the trees grow, it will be an honour for us to host the families some day. It's definitely something the leadership has got planned, to have the families visit the park and see the trees planted," he added.
A Jaish-e-Mohammad suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a CRPF convoy on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway at Lethpora in Pulwama district on February 14, killing 40 jawans.