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Tharoor hails Indian peacekeepers

Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor, a former United Nations under-secretary general, made an unscheduled visit to quake-hit Haiti over the weekend, meeting with the survivors of the calamity, the Indian peacekeepers as well as the Caribbean nation's President, Rene Garcia Preval at his makeshift home.

In his post on social networking site Twitter, Tharoor said there is hope amid the tragedy and there are signs of survival.

He met United Nation officials, striving to rebuild the country, and mourned the death of many friends.

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'UN Indian officials' spirit proved indispensable'

Tharoor praised the 'great spirit' of the UN Indian officials, who stuck together in aftermath of shock and 50 of whom donated blood that saved Haitian lives.

'That proved indispensable,' he wrote.

Lt Col Pronob K Roy, deputy chief of the Integrated Support Services at MINUSTAH's (UN Stabilisation Mission in Haiti) Logistic Base Crisis Centre on deputation from the Indian Army, was with the minister most of the time, was all praise for Tharoor complimenting him for acting professionally and being in touch with him and other all the time through the disaster.

Tharoor stood amidst the rubble of the UN headquarter in Port au Prince and laid a wreath for those who had perished, many of who Tharoor knew from his years at the United Nations.

'Our police have been heroic'

Tharoor noted that the Indian contingent's doctors treated 500 patients after the quake for trauma injuries.

'Our police have been heroic,' he said, adding that he would recommend the Formed Police Unit, which has 140-members from the Central Industrial Security Force, for commendation.

Tharoor also had a 'great' conversation with CNN's Sanjay Gupta, who he described as a real hero.

'There's no one like him: not just a media celebrity but a man of action who sets a rare example.'