India peacekeepers draw inspiration from Gandhi

The 650-strong contingent, which maintained its positions throughout the 34-day conflict, has erected a bust of Gandhi in a small square in the heart of the village of Ibl el-Saqi, where they maintain an immaculate garden.

Commanders of the Indian contingent, whose headquarters are in the village, say that the troops try to apply Gandhi's teachings in the peacekeeping duties they have carried out in the area since 1998.

"Gandhi park was based on the life of Mahatma Gandhi who tried to educate the people that through non-violent means one can resist and still win without firing a bullet, without slapping, without threatening anyone," Major Saurabh Pandey told AFP.