CDS General Bipin Rawat: It was always 'nation first' for the soldier's General

By Anish Kumar | First Published Dec 9, 2021, 8:43 PM IST

Veterans fondly remember General Bipin Rawat as a compassionate and caring officer for whom the motto always was 'nation first'

Today, the nation stands united in mourning the demise of one of the best soldiers India has ever produced. Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, who was killed along with his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 military personnel in a helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu's Coonoor, was much more than just the country's topmost military officer. Asianet Newsable reached out to veterans who fondly remember General Rawat as a compassionate and caring officer for whom the motto always was 'nation first.'

Also Read: CDS Gen Bipin Rawat's demise: 'Goodbye, friend; Farewell, commander'

Tap to resize

Latest Videos

Tap to resize

Major General Sudhakar Jee (Retd)

Having passed out with a Sword of Honour in his batch from the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun, General Bipin Rawat was commissioned into the 11 GR in December 1978. His consistent outstanding performance in all spheres took him to deserving places in the hierarchy of the Indian armed forces.

He was part of the surgical strikes in 2016 as the Vice Chief of Army Staff, Doklam (2017) and the surgical strike on Balakot (2019) as the Indian Army chief, and Galwan faceoff (2020) as the Chief of the Defence Staff. Besides, he took many pathbreaking, progressive and forward-looking initiatives taken to modernize the Indian Army and the entire armed forces.

He was a soldier's General and a visionary leader who could contribute immensely towards strengthening the Indian might and nation-building. Known as a cerebral General, he steered the successful implementation of the concepts of Integrated Battle Group, Integrated Theatre Command, Make in India, restructuring of the armed forces to a leaner profile, emphasized on ethics of soldiering and implemented a moral code of conduct for all ranks and file in the armed forces.

Compassionate and caring, the General was highly approachable and always led from the front. The nation will never forget him for his selfless dedication, result-orientedness, and 'nation first' attitude forever.

Major General Ashok Kumar (Retd)

"After the successful completion of Operation Vijay during the Kargil war, when I returned to the Army Headquarters in New Delhi in the MS branch, General Bipin Rawat was on colonel MS 3 appointment, and I was not in the chain of command to report him directly. But due to his kind behaviour, he had directed all officials to solve the problems of Army personnel. His direction was very clear 'Do not say no to anyone. Only I can say no." But that moment never came. He never said no to anyone.

He always solved the problems considering them as his own. My second memory was when I was commanding the infantry brigade along the China border. This was the same area where the India-China war took place in 1962. General Rawat was Major General General Staff at the Eastern Command HQ in Kolkata during that time. I used to have operational discussions with him.

Also Read: 'Jung ka ek usool hai...': 10 iconic quotes by CDS General Bipin Rawat

My third interaction with him was when I was managing director in Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme. During my two-year tenure, he was very supportive in bringing a change in that organization. I used to meet him at least once a week. His primary focus was to ensure there was no misusage of government funds in hospitals and other related organizations. Because of his continued support, the ECHS achieved remarkable achievements.

Mrs Madhulika Rawat (General Rawat's wife) was very gracious. She used to take care of everyone, including veer naris, kin of personnel. She had launched the project Sparsh for veterans. The dependents were given benefits of polyclinics across the country."

Also Read: CDS General Bipin Rawat, the straight-shooter who dared China, Pakistan

For more reliable and latest news