Bharat Sasmal

Biography

Bharat Sasmal hailed from Patospur village, Howrah district, West Bengal. After completing his schooling, he joined the Indian Army and was posted to the Mechanised Infantry Regiment. He served in multiple operational areas before being selected for the Indian contingent in UN peacekeeping operations. On 9 April 2013, while serving with UNMISS in South Sudan, Havildar Sasmal was part of a 32-member patrol in the Jonglei region. Near Gumuruk, their convoy was ambushed by over 200 armed rebels. During the heavy exchange of fire, he received fatal gunshot wounds while engaging the numerically superior rebel forces. Four other Indian soldiers, including Lt Col Mahipal Singh, also made the supreme sacrifice in the same engagement. For his outstanding courage, devotion to duty, and supreme sacrifice, Havildar Bharat Sasmal was posthumously awarded the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal by the United Nations.