New Delhi: The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Wednesday named 17 new warriors of its K9 team after strategic locations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) where its troops are deployed.
The young pups were named Galwan, Rezang, Daulat, Sasoma, Chip-chap, Saser, Srijap, Ane-la, Charding, Sultan-chusku, Imis, Rango, Yula, Mukhpri, Chung-Thung, Khardungi, and Shyok.
The ‘Naamkaran Ceremony’ was held at the National Training Centre for Dogs at Bhanu in Haryana’s Panchkula area. The pups belong to the Malinois breed, one of four types of Belgian herding dogs.
‘Naamkaran Ceremony’ of 17 ITBP K9s held at NTCD, ITBP BTC, Bhanu today. The ceremony was presided over by Dr Sudhakar Natrajan, DIG/ Vet., ITBP.#Himveers pic.twitter.com/rR3rrw8ygA
— ITBP (@ITBP_official) December 30, 2020
In a video from the ceremony, pups are seen carried by servicemen and then adorned with a red and green collar, given a kiss on their foreheads and knighted with a sword.
. @ITBP_official has for the first time in any Central Armed Forces history has given local names for cute little warrior pups of its famous K9 wing.
Report: @sudhakardas @PIB_India @airnewsalertsMore Info: https://t.co/yG9AS5E4LX pic.twitter.com/jNnBaq88Hn
— DD News (@DDNewslive) December 30, 2020
It is for the first time that K9 pups have been given indigenous names. There has been a long-standing tradition in the Central Armed Police Forces of assigning western names to its K9 warriors, like Caesar, Olga and Elizabeth.
“By naming these little K9 soldiers with 100 per cent desi names, that too from the areas guarded by the force, it is for the first time since independence, that the K9 wing of the country will acknowledge its own legacy and ethos,” stated a press release by the ITBP.
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ITBP first to deploy Malinois
ITBP Director-General S.S. Deswal reportedly came up with the idea to assign the pups Indian names.
Some on Twitter, however, argued that Tommy, Betty and Elizabeth were Indian names too.
Actually ,Tommy,Betty and Elizabeth (maybe not Caesar) are Indian names too.
— Suhasini Haidar (@suhasinih) December 30, 2020
On 5 November, ITBP had tweeted a video of the 17 “boisterous” pups born to K9s Olga and Oleshya (mothers) and Gala (the father).
Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Pups born to Fighter Moms. Sister K9s dogs Olga and Oleshya given birth to 17 boisterous Malinois pups at NTCD ITBP Bhanu. pic.twitter.com/nhecgj2q3d
— ITBP (@ITBP_official) November 5, 2020
ITBP was the first force to deploy Malinois in Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-hit areas about 10 years ago. It has also begun scientifically breeding K9s and providing pups to other Central Armed Police Forces and state police forces, as mandated by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
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