The grueling hardships in the lives of the soldiers are well documented. But now, one can see it for themselves through the eyes of the jawans as comic books chronicling the real-life stories of CRPF commandos is making its release.
Whilst the likes of GI Joe and Commando entail the hot pursuit of a whole squadron of soldiers, Dheer Dharmendra and Bahadur Biresh bring to the fore the unknown tales of the two jawans in particular (of the same name) and their martyrdoms.
Both recipients of the prestigious President Gallantry Award, their unblemished service to the army has been turned into graphical novels to inspire the younger generation of this country, and also simultaneously bring to the light their sacrifices and brevity. A CRPF official says, “As kids, we used to read Commando comics which were based on the World Wars. But here, we have true stories so that kids can know about the real battles.”
Talking of the accessibility of the comics, he further adds, “These comics books could be procured free of cost from Kendriya Vidyalayas and CRPF libraries”. And as a matter of fact, these comics are available in print and digital format both, but published currently in only Hindi.
The comics also encompass the bloody times when they faced the threat of terrorists and Maoists, from Pakistan and China, and how they weathered the storm.
Published by CRPF’s in-house publishing house, Dheer Dharmendra and Bahadur Biresh are the first comic books published by an Indian paramilitary/armed force.