Guwahati: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will attend the 87th Raising Day Parade of the Central Reserve Police Force as chief guest on February 21 at Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati.

This will be the first time the CRPF Raising Day Parade is being held in the Northeast. As part of the celebrations, a Director General’s Parade will take place on February 19. The event is being seen as an important moment for the force in the region.

The CRPF was set up in 1939 as the Crown Representative’s Police. After Independence, it was renamed in 1949. Since then, the force has played a major role in maintaining internal security across the country.

Over the years, the CRPF has taken part in many key operations. These include tackling militancy in Punjab, handling insurgency in the Northeast, responding after the Parliament attack, and managing security duties in places like Ayodhya, Mathura, Varanasi and Vaishno Devi.

The force has also joined United Nations peacekeeping missions in Sri Lanka, Kosovo, Haiti, Cambodia and Liberia.

Special units under the CRPF include the Rapid Action Force, which deals with riot control, and the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action, known as CoBRA, which handles anti Naxal operations.

At present, the force continues to work in Jammu and Kashmir and several parts of the Northeast to maintain law and order.

Official records show that 2,270 CRPF personnel have lost their lives in the line of duty. A total of 2,256 gallantry medals have been awarded to its members. The February 21 parade will feature marching units, displays of traditional martial arts and demonstrations of modern equipment to show the force’s preparedness.