BRIEF BSF HISTORY

The Border Security Force (BSF) is the primary border defence organisation of India.
It is one of the five Central Armed Police Forces of the Union of India, was raised in the
wake of the 1965 War on 01 December 1965, "for ensuring the security of the borders
of India and for matters connected there with". Prior to raising of BSF, the respective state
armed polices used to guard the borders, which were felt unable to cope with the constant
violations on the borders. Soon after the Chinese and Pakistan aggression in early 1960s,
importance of creating a unified and organised paramilitary force to defend the territorial
borders during peace and war was conceived and accordingly the Border Security Force was
established on 1st December, 1965, embodying various State Police battalions, ex-emergency
Commissioned Officers and Several Direct recruits, under the inspiring leadership of Sri KF
Rustamji, the first 'Director General'. BSF guards a staggering 6623 kms border of India with
Pakistan and Bangladesh. The Western Command of the Force is responsible for 2290 kms of
land border, 237 kms of Line of Control (LoC) and 85 kms Coastal border with Pakistan. The
Eastern Command safeguards 4096 kms of IB including 930 kms tricky and riverine borders
with Bangladesh. Besides guarding borders, BSF has now been entrusted with the added
responsibility to tackle the Left Wing Extremism in the States of Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
BSF been bestowed with peacetime as well as war time roles, Viz. promote sense of security
among people living in the border areas, prevent trans-border crimes, unauthorised entry and
exit, prevent smuggling and other illegal trans border crimes. War time role entrusted to BSF
comprise holding ground in less threatened sectors, protection of vulnerable areas and
vulnerable persons (VA's/VP's), providing extension to the flanks of main defence line by
holding of strong points in conjunction with other units, limited aggressive actions against
enemy paramilitary or regular forces, intelligence collection, acting as guide in an area of
responsibility, maintenance of law and order in enemy territory administered under the
control of the Army, provision of escorts, guarding of prisoners of war cages, etc. Being the
defacto first line of defence of India, the force bears enemy's first onslaught.
BSF is the only paramilitary in the world having its own Artillery, Air wing and
Water Wing. BSF also has a national level school for breeding and training of dogs. Dogs
from other CPOs and state police are sent to National Training Centre for Dogs (NTCD) to be
trained in infantry patrol, detection of explosives and tracking. The BSF maintains a Tear
Smoke Unit (TSU), which is unique in India. The TSU is responsible for producing tear gas
munitions required for the Anti-Riot Forces. It also exports a substantial quantity to other
countries. Three battalions of the BSF, located at Kolkata, Guwahati and Patna are designated
as the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). Each battalion maintains 18 self-contained
specialist search and rescue teams of 45 personnel each, including engineers, technicians,
electricians, dog squads and medics and paramedics.

BSF role in 1971 Indo-Pak war and the liberation of Bangladesh

On the fateful night of 25 March 1971, a genocidal campaign was launched by the
Pakistani Army against the Awami League and the East Pakistani people which led to revolt
of Bengali Officers in the Pak Army, Police and general administration. Shri K F Rustomji,
Director General, BSF sensed that the ferment in East Pakistan was bound to develop into an
uncontrollable mass agitation and BSF must act vigorously and decisively at the right
moment. BSF quickly established trans-border contacts and revived border intelligence
developed over the years. BSF was then tasked by the Govt to organize the resistance
movement by Bengali officers. BSF officials were entrusted with duties of securing the
venue, transporting reporters including that of foreign media, the leaders and many followers
of the liberation struggle. BSF conducted the movement of international journalists based at
Calcutta to border areas thereby the movement got International publicity. BSF doctors
inoculated the refugees for cholera and small pox. Col Biswas, the Chief Law Officer of BSF
formulated the first draft of the Constitution of Bangladesh which was developed
subsequently by other eminent barristers of Calcutta. Contribution of BSF in shaping the flag
of new Bangladesh and selection of national anthem was immense. When these developments
were taking place in Calcutta, BSF soldiers along with Muktibahini were engaged in causing
mass casualties and harassment to Pak Army deep inside East Pakistan. PNS Jossore which
used to cross the border along Lchhamati and target BOP Shamshernagar was struck by BSF
with 30 mm guns. At Petrapole, our position was encircled by BD territory on three sides. As
a result of overwhelming enthusiasm shown by highly motivated BSF troops with utter
disregard to own life, villages on either side were overrun. Mortar fire by Pak troops took
away precious lives of jawans deployed at Khalpara BOP. From September onwards BSF
was entrusted with the additional task of collecting military intelligence and spotting of
enemy aircrafts. Due to valuable intelligence by BSF troops, three Pak Saberjets could be
shot down by IAF hunters. BSF battalions marched inside Bangladesh side by side with the
Army from all directions when open war started. When the army marched forward only a
token strength was left on the border following regrouping of BOPs. BSF was given
independent tasks like the taking of enemy positions, guarding arsenals, securing lines of
communications and restoring civil administration in captured towns. BSF DIGs marched
alongside the Army divisions. Rajsahi was reduced by the BSF before the army took its
surrender. The role of BSF was recognized by our Prime Minister when she mentioned its
name in the Parliament along with those of the Army, Navy and Air force.

On the western front

By the time war broke out on the Indo-Pak western border, the young BSF was
working in close liaison with the Indian Army. BSF had spruced up its intelligence and
patrolling activities. During November 1971 a Pakistani spy in the garb of a Sadhu was
apprehended by BSF in the border district of Ganganagar in Rajasthan. This man was passing
on information about the Indian Air Force to the Pakistani armed forces; he divulged that
Pakistan was planning a pre-emptive air strike on selected Indian targets on 03 December. On
basis of this precious information, Indian Air Force removed its planes to smaller air force
stations in North India and placed some dummy planes in their place thus saving the country
a great deal of embarrassment.

In state of Gugrat BSF battalions as per war plan successfully captured Pakistani posts
Jaleli which could act as the bridge head and then extended Indian control to Pak villages
Alonia, Valawabulge and Barana hill features. In other operations BSF captured several
Pakistani BOPs lokw Vingoor, BOP Kaliabet, Vingi, Paneli and Jaattarai, etc., which were
augmented by Pakistani Infantry Battalions.
 In Rajasthan Pakistan launched with full thrust in the western front during in the
Jaisalmer sector, focused on Longewala. The Pakistani aim was to quickly overrun the border
and capture the strategically important fortress town of Jaisalmer. The Longewala post,
manned by the BSF, was surrounded by enemy armour and infantry. The BSF personnel
along with the army, put up one of the most heroic fights in the annals of Indian military
history. A handful of troops held on to their positions in the face of attack by a much larger
force till the enemy armour was destroyed by the Indian Air Force. At the same time, the BSF
occupied nearby Pak BOP of Ghotaru independently. In addition BSF on its own had
launched a number of offensive actions and captured as many as 23 enemy BOPs, inflicting
heavy casualties on the Pakistani Regulars and irregular militias like Razakars, etc.

In Punjab Pakistani Army was eyeing the fertile plains of Punjab and the important
Indian border towns like Amritsar, Ferozepur and Fazilka, with this objective in mind
attacked the state in force. The speed of the Pakistan Army added by the latest American
military technology brought it face to face with the BSF much before the Indian Army could
wage its battle against the aggressors. In general, an army is better equipped and more
heavily armed than a Paramilitary Force. In the Punjab the BSF faced a modern army intent
on making full use of the latest American technology at its disposal. The men and officers of
the BSF displayed indomitable courage in facing the heavy volume of LMG and MMG fire
brought on by the Pakistani units and often refused to withdraw from their BOPs till the
jawans exhausted their ammunition. Although the BSF met with some setbacks in the
Ferozepur Hussainiwala Sector, the fact remains that they performed with grit and
determination in the face of over-whelming enemy superiority. The storming of Raja Mohtam
BOP of Pakistan in Punjab in the infantry style by the BSF commands a special place in the
historic role the BSF played in the 1971 war. For tactical reasons this BOP had been
abandoned earlier and was subsequently occupied by the Pakistani forces. They held and
defended it with medium machine guns (MMGs) supplied with copious amounts of
ammunition, much of which fell into Indian hands after the post was captured by the BSF.
The ground on the Indian side of the BOP was shallow and converted into a minefield by the
Pakistanis. In addition the area was infested with sarkanda which made swift movements
difficult. The almost impossible task of storming and capturing the BOP was assigned to
Assistant Commandant Shri R.K. Wadhwa and his troops. Wadhwa led his men in an
outflanking maneuver at night through a minefield and very early in the morning of 07
December, 1971,Wadhwa led the assault on the post with grenades in hand. The BSF men,
who took the enemy by surprise from the rear, over ran the post only to realize that the BOP
had been held by the Pakistani Army almost in company strength. Wadhwa was killed in
shelling soon after this famous victory. In the Jalalabad Fazilka sector the BSF stood like a
wall and frustrated all enemy attempts to capture any portion of the Indian territory. In the
Gurdaspur-Dera Baba Nanak sector the enemy was delivered a crushing blow by the BSF and
the force was able to capture as many as 17 enemy BOPs. In many cases the BSF proved its
mettle against the regular units of the Pakistani Army.

In the Jammu sector the BSF working under operational control of the army was
deployed in RS Pura, Chhamb and Palanwala sectors. In the Chhamb sector the BSF units
came under heavy artillery fire. BSF often endured strong infantry and armoured attacks by
the Pakistan Army. In RS Pura sector, the BSF continued to hold most of the BOPs held
before the war while successfully repulsing heavy attacks by the enemy. Other important
sectors in this frontier were Rajouri and Bandipur. In the Rajouri Sector the BSF held its
posts against enemy attacks and in Bandipur it fought primarily a defensive battle. BSF
remained pivotal in the success of various operations during the war.
BSF in Operation Vijay: Kargil, 1999

In the summer of 1999, an important and strategically instructive war occurred

between Pakistan and India in the high altitude areas of the Kargil region of Jammu and
Kashmir. The crucial role which the BSF played in this war is usually underestimated in the
public memory of this event influenced by the media. The Kargil War is sometimes called
India’s first media war because during this war several influential media individuals were
flown into the relatively safer parts of the war zone by the Indian Army. Consequently the
images beamed from these places succeeded in crafting a narrative which glorified the Indian
Army.
In the public discussion of this war, people tend to forget that the BSF has a tradition
of manning the BOPs/FDLs round the clock, throughout the year even on the mountains in
the Kargil region where temperatures plummet to minus forty degrees during winter. This
strategically important high-altitude area sandwiched between India and Pakistan remained
relatively peaceful till 1990. Things began to change after the Kashmir uprising of 1989.
Taking advantage of the disturbed conditions in the Kashmir Valley, from where the road to
Leh ran from Srinagar, Pakistan embarked on a farsighted military adventure in the Kargil
Sector. The aim of Pakistan here was to interdict the highway running from Srinagar to Leh
and outflank the Indian security forces tied down in the Kashmir Valley.

In the region four regular Army units and one BSF unit were deployed. The
responsibility of manning the line of control rested on both the Army and the BSF in the
Kargil Sector. Consequently some Forward Defended Localities (FDLs) were manned by the
Army and some by the BSF. Some of the FDLs which were vacated by army units with the
objective to reoccupy them after winters were occupied by Pakistani troops. These positions
were later used against Indian troops. On the other hand none of the posts manned by the BSF
were vacated even in these trying conditions. This is demonstrated by the actions of the BSF
battalion occupying Forward Defended Localities (FDLs) in Kaksar, Chennigund, Kargil and
the highest post of the sector i.e., Chorbat La complex (17,000 feet) overlooking the historic
Silk Road. At 17,000 feet and especially during winter, the oxygen level in the rarified air is
dangerously low. A committed Company Commander with 8 to 10 personnel occupying a
new dominating height called the “Bravo-1”, which was very close to LC, the highest and
most difficult FDL of the Kargil sector over 18,000 feet. Had this post been occupied by the
Pakistani army, the complete Chorbat La axis would have come under enemy control.

The BSF shared different intelligence reports from July 1998 to December 1998
covering aspects like shifting of artillery positions, development of new gun positions,
shifting of POK villages near LC, stopping leave of military personnel, deployment of
commandos near LC, construction of tracks near FDLs, stocking of huge quantity of
ammunition, increased and frequent visits of senior military officers, deployment of
additional air defense guns, movement of militants in hundreds opposite the Kargil sector,
construction of helipads, opening of new Field Intelligence Unit (FIU) office near the LC,
construction of underground bunkers, shifting of approximately five hundred militants
(apparently Northern Light Infantry personnel in civil dress), fighter aircrafts frequently
landing at Skardu and carrying out night-flying practice, etc. These inputs had adequate
indication of unprecedented military built-up and suspicious militant activities which had
tremendous potential for further build up as hard intelligence. In the first week of May 1999,
BSF found accurate inputs on the nature and extent of intrusion, which were provided to
Army formations and also to MHA.

Counter-Insurgency and Anti-Naxal Operations

Although originally charged with guarding India's external boundaries, the BSF from
time to time have been given the task in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations
in Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, North East, Odisha and Chattisgarh. While in Punjab BSF
took Part in operations like Blue Star, Black Thunder 1 & 2 till 1989. When the insurgency in
Jammu and Kashmir broke out, in 1989 BSF in Punjab handed over the Counter Insurgency
Operations to CRPF and Punjab Police and moved to state of Jammu & Kashmir. In Jammu
and Kashmir state police and the thinly deployed Central CRPF were struggled to cope up
with the spiraling violence, Indian government deployed BSF to Jammu and Kashmir to
combat separatist militants. The BSF initially suffered casualties from militant attacks but
subsequently after setting up an intelligence network and working with local civilians, force
later saw successes, including the elimination of several terrorists and arrest of militant
leaders. BSF contribution in reducing militancy in J&K is widely acknowledged. Despite
BSF's success in a counter-terrorism role, many in the government felt that this additional
burden was leading to a dilution of the BSF's mandate and degrading the force's ability to
perform its primary role of guarding the country's borders, subsequently after 2006 in phased
manner BSF was withdrawn from Valley. But with increasing Naxal violence in Central
India, again the government decided to diversify the Anti-Naxal operations with the induction
of BSF. BSF was deployed in Chhattisgarh and Odisha to combat the Naxal menace.

These 53 years have been a glorious saga of valour, sacrifice and dedication where
BSF has stood up to every challenge and emerged triumphant. During its Golden journey,
BSF has played a pivotal role & contributed immensely to all facets of National security right
from the day of its raising. BSF shouldered responsibilities such as election duties, aid to civil
authorities during natural calamities, law & order duties with great aplomb. The force has
also played a significant role in restoring peace and in smothering the menace of militancy in
the State of Punjab, J&K and North-Eastern States for which the Seema Praharis earned
gallantry medals for their acts of bravery. A total of 1593 BSF brave hearts sacrificed their
lives in the line of duty to attain covetous and exalted position of martyr. The riveting and
fascinating saga of BSF will always continue to be the hallmark of this elite Force. Since
raising, BSF valiants have been awarded with 4507 prestigious awards. 45 Army awards
including 01 Mahavir Chakara, 01 Param Vishisht Seva Chakar & 13 Kirti Chakar; 77 Civil
awards, including 01 Padam Vibhushan, 02 Padam Bhushan & 07 Padam Shri and 4385
Police medals, including 232 President’s Police Medal for Gallantry and 921 Police Medals
for Gallantry.