Yoshita Singh
United Nations, May 28
The United Nations will honour two Indian peacekeepers posthumously with the prestigious Dag Hammarskjold Medal for sacrificing their lives while serving in peacekeeping missions in Congo and South Sudan.
Lance Havildar Harbhajan Singh, who served with the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Naib Subedar Sujit Kumar Pradhan, who was deployed with the UN Mission in South Sudan, will be recognized during events marking the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will present the medals in honour of their service and sacrifice in conflict-affected regions.
The United Nations will also confer the 2025 Military Gender Advocate of the Year award on Major Abhilasha Barak of India for her efforts to engage with women and girls during her deployment with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.
Major Barak is currently serving with the Indian Battalion as Commander of the Female Engagement Team in Lebanon. She is also known as the Indian Army’s first woman combat helicopter pilot.
The observance ceremony will take place at the UN Headquarters in New York on June 5. The Secretary General will lay a wreath in memory of peacekeepers who lost their lives while serving under the UN flag.
According to the UN, a total of 68 military, police, and civilian personnel will receive the Dag Hammarskjold Medal posthumously this year, including 59 peacekeepers who died in the line of duty last year.
India continues to play a major role in UN peacekeeping operations and remains the second largest contributor of uniformed personnel. More than 4,200 Indian military and police personnel, including 155 women, are currently serving across missions in Africa, the Middle East and other conflict regions.
The UN said nearly 180 Indian peacekeepers have lost their lives while serving in missions over the years, the highest number among troop-contributing nations.
Major Barak becomes the third Indian officer to receive the Military Gender Advocate award after Major Suman Gawani and Major Radhika Sen, who were honoured for their work in earlier UN peacekeeping missions.
In his message for the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, Guterres paid tribute to peacekeepers serving across the world and remembered nearly 4,500 personnel who have died in UN operations since 1948.
“No one should die serving the cause of peace,” Guterres said while calling on member states to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel deployed in conflict zones.
This year’s theme for the International Day of UN Peacekeepers is “Invest in Peace”, highlighting the need for stronger political and financial support for peacekeeping missions at a time of rising global tensions and shrinking resources.
