United Nations Headquarters, New York, May 29, ANB, In a solemn tribute to their ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, the United Nations will today posthumously honour two Indian peacekeepers — Brigadier Amitabh Jha and Havildar Sanjay Singh — with the prestigious Dag Hammarskjöld Medal.
Brigadier Jha served with the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), helping monitor the tense ceasefire in the Golan Heights, while Havildar Singh was deployed with the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), supporting peace efforts in one of the world’s most volatile regions. according to the statement issued to the news service Associated News Bureau ANB That The medals will be conferred at the UN Headquarters in New York as part of the observances for the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, a day dedicated to honouring the service and sacrifice of UN peacekeepers around the world. Since 1948, more than 4,300 peacekeepers have lost their lives in the pursuit of global peace.
Established in 1997 by the UN Security Council, the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal is named after the second UN Secretary-General, who died in a plane crash during a peace mission in 1961. It is awarded annually to military, police, and civilian personnel who lose their lives while serving under the UN flag.
India, a steadfast contributor to UN peacekeeping operations, has sent over 200,000 personnel to 49 missions — one of the highest numbers by any nation. The nation has a long and proud legacy of service in the cause of international peace, and many of its peacekeepers have previously received the Hammarskjöld honour.
Today’s ceremony stands as a reminder of the courage and commitment of those who serve far from home to safeguard peace and stability for others — and the profound cost at which that service can sometimes come. ANB
