Indian troops in MONUC

[Antonio Prieto]

Dear Sirs

I need information about the indian name (turban?) and criteria or comments of the headgear of the indian troops

Thank you

Photo # 168633 UN Photo/Marie Frechon

UN Messenger for Peace Visits MONUC

George Clooney, a newly appointed United Nations Messenger for Peace, greets members of the Indian Battalion of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) during his tour of UN Peacekeeping Mission in Africa.

High-resolution image (Please right-click and choose Save As) Edited February 14, 2008 by Antonio Prieto

[Ed_Haynes]

Nice one, Antonio.

Major-General Bikram Singh is wearing what in Punjabi would be a safa, but in English "turban" is just fine. He is wearing it in UN blue, of course. Sikhs, of course, would wear the turban (as required by their faith), while others on UN service normally adopt a UN blue beret (as Colonel K. M. Singh wears behind him), though there are ceremonial UN blue adaptations of the regimental headgear (some quite bizarre when rendered into baby blue).

His awards are quite interesting, including a lot of UN medals!

When I last met him at the Centre for Peackeeping Studies at the USI, New Delhi, he didn't have quite as much.

Indian troops serving with MONUC receive the Videsh Seva Medal, reissued with the old "Congo" clasp, plus the UN medal (of course). It is a pretty small Indian deployment, so that pair will be rather uncommon. (But so are so most of the 52 Videsh Seva Medal clasps!)

Edited February 14, 2008 by Ed_Haynes

[Antonio Prieto]

Thank you for the answer Ed

Some others of the National Day Celebration at Madrid 12.10.2007

[leigh kitchen]

Ed, is Major-General Bikram Singh wearing a red band in the UN blue turban to indicate general rank?

[Ed_Haynes]

Ed, is Major-General Bikram Singh wearing a red band in the UN blue turban to indicate general rank?

Yes, Leigh. Precisely that.

Thanks for the clarification.