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India underlined its "unflinching commitment" to UN peacekeeping arsenic it paid homage astatine a solemn ceremonial present to peacekeepers who sacrificed their lives successful the enactment of duty.
The imperishable missions of India and Austria to the United Nations organised a solemn lawsuit connected Friday (May 29, 2026) connected the juncture of International Day of UN Peacekeepers to wage tributes to the ultimate sacrifice of the fallen peacekeepers.
India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, highlighted that "Blue Helmets proceed to beryllium the look of the UN successful situation spots successful antithetic parts of the world".
"Salute the UN Peacekeepers whose tireless efforts successful the astir unsafe settings bring bid and stableness astir the world. India has an unflinching committedness to UN Peacekeeping and it volition proceed its efforts towards this noble goal," Mr. Parvathaneni said.
A station by the Indian ngo connected X said the solemn lawsuit paid tributes to much than 4,000 brave men and women, uniformed and civilian peacekeepers, who laid down their lives for peace.
India, among the largest troop-contributing countries, has deployed astir 3 lakh troops successful much than 50 UN Peacekeeping Missions since 1948. About 184 Indian peacekeepers person made the ultimate sacrifice successful defence of planetary bid and security, the Indian ngo said.
The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers is marked annually connected May 29, a day selected for the commemoration since it was the time successful 1948 erstwhile the Security Council established the archetypal UN peacekeeping operation, the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation successful the West Asia.
The UN Headquarters successful New York volition observe the Day connected June 5, erstwhile Secretary-General Antonio Guterres volition laic a wreath to honour the men and women who served successful UN peacekeeping and mislaid their lives successful the origin of peace. He volition past contiguous the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal posthumously to 68 military, constabulary and civilian peacekeepers, who paid the eventual terms successful the enactment of duty, including 59 who died past year.
This year, Lance Havildar Harbhajan Singh, who served with the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission successful the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and Naib Subedar Sujit Kumar Pradhan, who was deployed with the UN Mission successful South Sudan (UNMISS) volition beryllium honoured posthumously by Mr. Guterres for their sacrifice successful the enactment of duty.
Additionally, Mr. Guterres volition contiguous the 2025 Military Gender Advocate of the Year grant to Major Abhilasha Barak of India, who serves successful the UN Interim Force successful Lebanon (UNIFIL), honouring her outreach efforts with women and girls during her deployment successful the West Asian country. Ms. Barak is serving with the Indian Battalion arsenic the Commander of the Female Engagement Team (FET) successful the UNIFIL. She is besides the archetypal pistillate combat chopper aviator of the Indian Army.
In a infinitesimal of pridefulness for India, Ms. Barak volition beryllium the 3rd recipient of the prestigious grant from the country, aft Major Suman Gawani and Major Radhika Sen were honoured for their commendable enactment portion serving successful UN Peacekeeping missions.
Ms. Gawani, who had served with the UNMISS, was honoured with the 2019 United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award. Ms. Sen, who served with MONUSCO, received the 2023 award.
India is the second-largest contributor of uniformed unit to UN Peacekeeping. It presently contributes much than 4,200 subject and constabulary unit — including 155 women — to UN bid operations successful Abyei, the Central African Republic, Cyprus, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, the West Asia, Somalia, South Sudan and Western Sahara. More than 180 Indian peacekeepers person made the ultimate sacrifice successful the enactment of duty, the highest fig by acold from immoderate troop-contributing country.
