Security personnel outside the Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar the venue of the main Independence Day parade and function in the state. (PTI Photo)
For the last four months Hawaldar Ajay Kumar has not taken a single day's leave. A resident of Jhansi in UP, he is posted with the 110 battalion of the CRPF in Pulwama district of South Kashmir where security forces fought two major gun-battles with terrorists in the last one week alone.
As the country celebrates Independence Day with an official holiday, Hawaldar Kumar's duty hours have just increased - patrolling in the vast saffron fields of Lethpora area to make sure the big day is peaceful.
"We believe in duty first and then any festival and our family. If we honestly do our duty for the security of the nation and if people can sleep safely, we are ready to give this sacrifice," he said.
The CRPF along with the police are in the forefront in dealing with protests, stone pelting and fighting terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. Hawaldar Kumar's colleague Arun Kumar from Allahabad says it's a 24x7 job but he doesn't complain.
"Our duty hours are sometime 18 to 24 hours. Whatever duty we are given we are trying to do that effectively - we don't take even rest - first we think that we have to perform our duty," said Arun Kumar.
Security is on high alert in the wake of reports that terrorists may try to carry out attacks to disrupt Independence Day functions in the state. Thousands of security personnel like Hawaldar Ajay and Arun work round the clock to keep them at bay.