PTI
New Delhi, Dec 19: The Centre was bringing out an Amar Chitra Katha-styled comic book series on the lives and daredevil exploits of paramilitary soldiers killed in the line of duty, official sources said Tuesday.
The sources informed that the Union home ministry, in collaboration with a major business house, had begun the process of compiling the stories of at least two gallantry medal-winning soldiers from each of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) – the CRPF, BSF, ITBP, CISF, SSB, NSG and Assam Rifles.
The series will be modelled on the famed “Amar Chitra Katha” comics, which have been narrating the mythological, historic and epic tales of India in a graphic format since its inception in 1967.
The series would describe the early life of the troopers and their bravery citations while combating Naxals or terrorists, the sources said.
The ministry was also preparing a video series of such personnel, who laid down their lives in the line of duty, they said, adding that it would be uploaded on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook as part of the “Bharat Ke Veer” initiative.
The “Shaurya Gatha” (tales of valour) series is expected to be unveiled by Home Minister Rajnath Singh at an event in Delhi January 28.
The short-video series was also expected to be launched simultaneously by the home minister, the sources said.
“The two steps of the home ministry are an extension of the ‘Bharat Ke Veer’ initiative, which was launched early this year to encourage public donations to the families of slain CAPF soldiers,” a senior official, who is privy to the development, said.
While the original “Amar Chitra Katha” comic books were an effort to make children aware of India’s cultural heritage, the new series is aimed at inspiring people about the courage and dedication of those men and women, who laid down their lives for the country, he added.
The short-video series was currently being shot by professional videographers and their teams were camping at far-flung villages and towns where these troops lived, the sources said.
The teams were recording the hard, yet inspiring lives of the slain soldiers’ kin, who would narrate in the videos how they missed their loved ones.
The www.bharatkeveer.gov.in portal was launched in April by Singh and actor Akshay Kumar. The portal receives monetary contributions from the public. These contributions are then transferred to the bank accounts of the slain soldiers’ families.
