CDS General Bipin Rawat: A brave warrior, an infallible strategist

In the year 1971, that is, during the Bangladesh War, the discussion of CDS or Defense Chief started in the country, which is the head of the three parts of the army.

Having a Chief of Defense Staff has the advantage of the synergy between the three parts of the army in a war-like situation.

In 1971, the then Prime Minister Mrs Indira Gandhi wanted General Sam Manekshaw, who was then the Chief of the Army Staff, to be the Chief of Defense Staff.

CDS General Bipin Rawat: A brave warrior, an infallible strategist

Any man who wears an army uniform knows that anything untoward can happen to him at any time. The country’s first Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat must have been well aware of this.

He was a very capable man and a brave warrior. Also, he was very lucky. He had been shot. He narrowly escaped an accident in Nagaland.

But last December 8, when he was going to attend an event, luck did not support him.

His helicopter crashed and he got separated from us. Along with him, his wife and others also fell in the cheeks of Kaal and only Group Captain Varun Singh is fighting the battle of life very bravely in the hospital.

It should be remembered about General Bipin Rawat that due to his bravery and ability, he was made the Chief of the Army Staff, and then the first Chief of Defense Staff of the country.

In the year 1971, that is, during the Bangladesh War, the discussion of CDS or Defense Chief started in the country, which is the head of the three parts of the army.

Having a Chief of Defense Staff has the advantage of the synergy between the three parts of the army in a war-like situation.

In 1971, the then Prime Minister Mrs Indira Gandhi wanted General Sam Manekshaw, who was then the Chief of the Army Staff, to be the Chief of Defense Staff.

But the then Chief of Air Staff did not show interest in that proposal, as he did not have good relations with Manekshaw.

The report, prepared after the Kargil war, once again highlighted the need for a defence chief, as the lack of coordination between the Army and the Air Force was revealed in that war.

But then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee brushed off that possibility.

When Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, he understood the importance of the Defense Chief. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval was also in favour of the defence chief. After deliberation, the name of Bipin Rawat came up for this important post.

The biggest reason for this is that the government liked the work of Bipin Rawat as the Chief of Army Staff. He was in favour of modernizing the army.

As Defense Chief, he did many things, but his most ambitious plan was the formation of the Integrated Theater Command.

Under this, he was planning to bring seventeen different commands into a unified force, which unfortunately remained incomplete. Hopefully, this work will be completed in the coming days.

In his long military career, General Rawat had carved an image of a brave soldier and an infallible strategist. He received the award for his contribution to the fight against terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

His activism in anti-insurgency operations in the Northeast was equally worth watching.

In this context, one can especially recall the 2015 targeting of Naga militants to their camps in Myanmar to give a befitting reply, which is formally regarded as the first surgical strike. His activism after the Uri attack was worth watching.

He was a tough soldier on the battlefield, and he was also a unique planner who stayed awake all night to create military strategies. The world saw the surgical strike done in response to the Pulwama attack.

CDS General Bipin Rawat: A brave warrior, an infallible strategist

General Rawat was among the planners of that counter-attack. As a top army officer, General Bipin Rawat left a deep mark.

During his time, the toughness against both Pakistan and China spoke only about the spirit and morale of our army.

Indian Army has always shown bravery on the battlefield. Today’s India can fight with increased morale on two fronts simultaneously.

Apart from this, General Rawat also broke the made-up image of the Indian Army many times with his decisions, thoughts and comments.

Whether it is the award given to Major Gogoi, who tied a common citizen to the bonnet of an army jeep to save him from stone pelters in Budgam, Kashmir, or criticizing the agitators against the CAA or supporting the policies of the government.

Through all this, General Rawat gave a message that the army officers have the right to comment on the issues of the country with which the army is directly related.

CDS General Bipin Rawat: A brave warrior, an infallible strategist

Yes, the army must refrain from commenting on issues with which it has nothing to do. But the view that the army should stay away from politics cannot be endorsed.

Since the accident happened when the Mi-17, V5 helicopter carrying Defense Chief General Rawat, his wife and other military aides crashed, questions have been raised about the helicopter.

However, all the truth will come out in the investigation. Therefore, it is not right to question the capability of this helicopter in a hurry, as it is considered to be the safest helicopter.

Then one cannot forget that such accidents have happened in the past as well. First of all, as mentioned, the visibility was very low due to the haze.

This kind of problem comes during the landing of the helicopter on it. So this is not the right time to question the capability of that helicopter.