New Delhi (Staff Correspondent), November 12: Any force entering India the unwarranted style has to face the wrath of India’s first line of defence that is in the safe hands of the Border Security Force. The world’s largest border securing force, BSF has been defending India’s last villages and beyond for over past five decades in some of the most challenging terrains and conditions.
If we talk about the area under the control of Border Security Force, it pans across thousands of kilometres starting from Indo-Pakistan border to the border between India and Bangladesh. From hills to deserts and from rivers to swamps, from jungles to mangroves, BSF commandos will always be spotted holding the ground in such demanding topography, vigilant towards any possible threat.
Needless to say, the BSF also plays a vital role along the Line of Control in Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir.
Headquartered in New Delhi, under the command of Ministry of Home Affairs, the force was set up in the wake of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 to ensure the security of India’s borders and for related matters.
Today, however, it has grown to be the world’s largest border securing force and this journey of comprising 25 battalions in 1965, to 193 battalions with a sanctioned strength of 270,000 personnel including an expanding air wing, water wing, an artillery regiment and specialised units, has been full of narration worthy tales of bravery and valour.
Be it the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 of the Operation Blue Star that took place inside the Golden Temple of Amritsar, Punjab, the Operation Black Thunder or the incidents from the insurgency in Punjab, mention of these times are not complete without counting in the contribution that the border security force made.
Counter-insurgency operations in the state of Jammu and Kashmir and in the Northeastern states and anti-naxal operations in the areas like Kanker district of Chhattisgarh, also have witnessed how the BSF holds the ground.
Other than these the BSF’s role in operation Vijay, during the Kargil War is also unforgettable along with many other occasions where the BSF rose to its highest expectations following 2019 India Pakistan border skirmishes or the everyday affair at India’s porous borders.
Why the porous borders are a menace is because BSF not only safeguards the borders from the enemies but also pays a significant role in thwarting smuggling and trafficking attempts.
A large stretch in West Bengal where India shares border with Bangladesh is highly vulnerable to trafficking and smuggling. BSF not only remains vigilant in these forwards areas round the clock but has also been instrumental in busting human trafficking rings and smuggling syndicates. Some of the items smuggled through these border are cattle, liquor, gold and silver, and narcotics. The stretch has also been misused by international organised gangs of human trafficking for crossing over with women and children who are used for labour and sex trade in India. BSF has been actively catching infiltrators and touts and handing over to the local police for appropriate legal action.
The BSF has also made a mark on the international podium as it also represents India in United Nations (UN) on peacekeeping missions. Currently, the Border Security Force (BSF) is part of India’s peacekeeping contingent in the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) where at least two platoons, each with 70–74 personnel, are deployed in the mission.
Every year, we are reminded of the fact that the BSF is paramount in relief and rescue operations also. Whenever there is a situation like flood, landslides or cyclone, which in India are an yearly affair, it is the BSF that plays a vital role alongside the National Disaster Relief Force, local state police and the Indian Defence Forces.
With such an integrated role, and being the first line of defence for the country, the Indian Government too has made sure that the BSF is equipped with the state of the art weapons. The budgetary allocations to the CAPFs are also adequate and have only seen rise in the past few years for modernisation of equipment.
The BSF handles a wide variety of state of the art weaponry from Glock and 9mm pistols to MP5 sub machine guns and assault rifles like the AK-47 and INSASs. It also is armed with sniper rifles like the M82 and Steyr SSG69 alongside grenade launchers and light machine guns.
BSF also has its aircraft and a fleet of water carriers and boats for riverine challenges.
Despite such legacy and gallantry that the BSF has withheld for years, the force only aims at further strengthening India’s first line of defence in order to achieve a safer and a crime free territory, be it on land, air or water.
