NEW YORK: At a sombre event on Thursday at the UN headquarters, three Indian UN troops will be posthumously conferred the Dag Hammarskjold Medal for their great sacrifice in the line of duty. Prior to the ceremony honouring UN peacekeepers, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, said, "We salute our fallen heroes, and their bravery and offer our deepest respects."
"Honouring the brave, remembering the dead. We are incredibly grateful for the peacekeepers' sacrifices and dedication to their mission, and PR @ruchirakamboj expresses this thanks in advance of today's sad #PKDay commemoration at the UN headquarters. According to a tweet from the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations in New York, "We salute their bravery and offer our deepest respects." The three Indians include Shaber Taher Ali, a civilian employee of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq, and Border Security Force personnel chief Constables Shishupal Singh and Samwali Ram Vishnoi, who served with the Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Five individuals were slain during an anti-UN protest in the eastern city of Goma near the conflict-torn nation's border with Uganda, including Shishupal Singh and Sanwala Ram Vishnoi, who have been serving as part of a United Nations mission in Butembo, Congo, since June 2, 2022. Shishupal was a Sikar native, while Vishnoi was a Barmer native. "India's role in UN peacekeeping doesn't require any introduction. It suffices to say that India has been one of the world's most active supporters to peace efforts ever since our first involvement in a UN peacekeeping mission in 1950, according to Indian envoy Kamboj.
In more than 51 UN peacekeeping deployments, India has sent more than 275,000 personnel, including a sizeable number of women peacekeepers. "Unfortunately, this has also required the ultimate sacrifice in the most noble traditions of the military. We will honour the memory of three Indian peacekeepers with the Dag Hammarskjold Medal in a sombre ceremony later today at UN headquarters in New York," said Kamboj.
The medal is the highest prize given to UN peacekeepers who have excelled in courage, fidelity to duty, and selflessness for the sake of peace. In the General Assembly Hall, the Dag Hammarskjold Medal and Military Gender Advocate of the Year awards will be presented under the direction of the UN Secretary-General.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated in a message celebrating the exceptional sacrifices made by UN troops to global peace and security that "United Nations peacekeepers are the beating heart of our resolve to a more peaceful world. They have helped those affected by violence and instability around the world for 75 years. Additionally, this year celebrates the UN Peacekeeping Organization's 75th anniversary. On May 29, the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers provides an opportunity to recognise the essential contribution of uniformed and civilian employees to the organization's operations and to remember the more than 4,200 peacekeepers who have died while serving under the UN flag since 1948.
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