VideoPeople pay last respects to the Bravehearts as mortal remains in 13 Ambulances pass mettupalayam area of Tamil Nadu enroute Delhi. Cries of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and 'Veer Vanakkam'.
Shopkeepers of Nilgiris District, #TamilNadu where the unfortunate #IAFHelicopterCrash happened have decided to remain shut tomorrow (10th December) from 6 AM to 6 PM to honor the memory of CDS #BipinRawat & other departed souls.
Sidhant Sibal@sidhant .5h
Special prayer ceremony led by Bhutan's King and his father The Fourth King In Thimphu this morning for CDS Bipin Rawat & his wife.
A mighty general, best of the soldiers, and a dear friend: An ode to CDS Bipin Rawat
The Bipin Rawat I knew was a man of unimpeachable integrity and rare honesty
PR Shankar
December 09, 2021 12:28:17 IST
A mighty general, best of the soldiers, and a dear friend: An ode to CDS Bipin Rawat
Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat had tremendous qualities of head and heart. This is quite different from the public perception that he was politically motivated and often crossed lines which uniformed personnel do not. PTI
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat died along with his wife, Madhulika Rawat, and eleven others in a helicopter crash in the Nilgiris on Wednesday. The nation conveys its heartfelt condolences to all those who lost their near and dear ones in this tragic incident. We also pray that Group Captain Varun Singh, who is being treated for injuries in MH Wellington, comes through.
In this untimely demise of General Bipin Rawat, I lost a long-time friend, the Armed Forces lost a great leader, and the nation lost one of its best soldiers it ever had. Many might disagree but I will qualify.
Till 2015, India was a soft nation. Any two-bit terrorist could do anything and getaway. When India carried out cross-border surgical strikes on terrorist camps in Myanmar, General Rawat masterminded them as General Officer Commanding 3 Corps in Dimapur. In 2016, as the Vice Chief of Army Staff, he was instrumental in the decision making, planning and execution of cross-LoC (Line of Control) strikes against terrorist launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). He prepared the Indian Army for any follow-up escalation.
His finest action was to stop the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in its tracks at Doklam when he was the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) in 2017. For the first time after 1967, China was thwarted physically by India. After the Doklam incident, India developed the belief that it can stand up to China. The PLA invincibility bubble was pricked. In 2019, General Rawat had fully prepared the Indian Army to enable the Indian Air Force (IAF) to carry out strikes on Jabba Top (nee Balakot).
Last year when the PLA aggression manifested along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, he was at the helm of affairs, as CDS. His decision would have led to India occupying the Kailash Range. It forced the PLA to retreat eight km from Finger 4 on the Pangong Lake, after destroying its own bunkers. This has not happened after the Sumdorong Chu incident in 1986-87. The Chinese are still sitting there.
General Rawat was not flamboyant like Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, who decisively defeated Pakistan. He was not brilliant strategically like General Krishnaswamy Sundarji, who outflanked China. However, connect all the operational dots I have outlined, something far greater comes out. He has incrementally reinforced belief in the Indian Armed Forces to defend the nation. India’s operational thought process has transformed irreversibly. He leaves a hard and strategically confident India to take its rightful place in world affairs. We need to thank General Rawat, one of India’s best soldiers, for this.
Bipin Rawat was outstanding from the time he won the ‘Sword of Honour’ at the Indian Military Academy. He lived up to the initial promise with an outstanding professional and academic record throughout his life. In 1991, we listened to many distinguished speakers as students in DSSC, Wellington. Most of us, bright-eyed young Majors, unquestioningly lapped up whatever they spoke. Bipin Rawat was one of the few who could get into an intellectual discussion with the speaker. He was a cut above the rest even then.
Later in 2001, we did the Higher Command Course in Army War College after finishing command of our respective units in the Eastern Sector. We used to have lengthy discussions about how to deal with China and the PLA in future. It was an oddity at that time when the Twin Towers had just been brought down, Samuel Huntington’s ‘Clash of Civilisations’ was the international discussion and Pakistan was India’s national obsession. My dissertation on China, along with all my writing thereafter, was always part of his study. We were convinced since then that China and the PLA would one day dominate the national thought and we should be prepared for it. This conviction and effort to prepare India for it continued till the end.
General Rawat had a balanced professional career. He commanded 5/11 Gorkhas in Kibithu (Walong Sector). He commanded an RR Sector in the Valley and a UN brigade as part of MONUSCO. He commanded 19 Infantry Division along the LoC and 3 Corps in Dimapur. He had great operational insight and experience in conventional and sub conventional operations. He put this to good effect as a COAS and CDS. His exposure in the US Army Command and General Staff College widened and rounded his thinking. He applied all this knowledge to good effect when appointed as India’s first Chief of Defence Staff. He started initiating reforms in India’s Higher Défence Organisation and has laid the groundwork for enhanced jointness and roll out of joint theatre commands.
I personally know that he was convinced that the only way forward to strategic independence was to be ‘aatmanirbhar’. His stress on it is reflected in the long ‘negative list’ of imports and in his persistent insistence that the AK 203 rifle factory should come up in India to make us self-sufficient for small arms.
The Bipin Rawat I knew was a man of unimpeachable integrity and rare honesty. He was quite outspoken and wore his heart on his sleeve. I always wondered where he got his bustling energy and stamina from. He had tremendous qualities of head and heart. This is quite different from the public perception that he was politically motivated and often crossed lines which uniformed personnel do not. In most cases, he was quoted out of context. However if one looks at it dispassionately, he was also able to bring about a great degree of politico-military convergence in the national thought process which was sorely lacking.
Madhulika Rawat was a great lady. She took care of their home base when Bipin served India at its borders for a long time. For the best part, since we knew her, she stayed at Noida, in a completely civilian set up, looking after their parents, bringing up their young daughters while eschewing all the trappings and benefits of Army life. It was a true sacrifice for the nation. She was the epitome of simple grace and goodness. My wife and I will personally miss her. Our heart goes to their daughters in this hour of sadness. May God bless General and Madhulika Rawat. May their souls rest in peace.
Lt Gen PR Shankar was India’s DG Artillery. He is highly decorated and qualified with vast operational experience. He contributed significantly to the modernisation and indigenisation of Artillery. He is now a Professor in the Aerospace Dept of IIT Madras and is involved in applied research for defence technology. The views expressed are personal.
Now compare Gen Bipin Rawat's theatre commands to the earlier reforms.The Kitchener reforms began in 1903 when Lord Kitchener of Khartoum, newly appointed Commander-in-Chief, India, completed the unification of the three former Presidency armies, and also the Punjab Frontier Force, the Hyderabad Contingent and other local forces, into one Indian Army; see Army of India (including also units of the British Army stationed in India).
The principles underlying the reforms were that the defence of the North-West Frontier against foreign aggression was the army's primary role and that all units were to have training and experience in that role on that frontier. Furthermore, the army's organisation should be the same in peace as in war, and maintaining internal security was for the army a secondary role, in support of the police.[14]
Lord Kitchener found the army scattered across the country in stations at brigade or regimental strength, and in effect, providing garrisons for most of the major cities.[11] The reformed Indian Army was to be stationed in operational formations and concentrated in the north of the sub-continent. The Commander-in-Chief's plan called for nine fighting divisions grouped in two corps commands on the main axes through the North-West Frontier. Five divisions were to be grouped on the Lucknow – Peshawar – Khyber axis, and four divisions on the Bombay – Mhow – Quetta axis.[15] However, the cost of abandoning some thirty-four stations and building new ones in the proposed corps areas was considered prohibitive, and that aspect of the plan had to be modified.[16]
Under the compromise adopted in 1905, the four existing commands were reduced to three, and together with Army Headquarters, arranged in ten standing divisions and four independent brigades...
CDS Rawat a no-nonsense man who spoke his mind, didn't fear controversy, writes Lt Gen Hasnainramana wrote:There is another tribute by Lt Gen Syed Hasnian.
Please post.
Taking forward General Rawat’s legacy
D.S. Hooda writes: As CDS, he brought energy and purpose to military reforms. It must be ensured that the momentum is not lost
Written by D.S. Hooda |
Updated: December 10, 2021 8:37:24 am
The horrific helicopter crash that cut short General Bipin Rawat’s life has left the country shocked. It is also a profound personal loss for some of us who had known General Rawat and his wife, Madhulika. When someone holding a key position is suddenly and tragically lost, the inevitable question is: What is the legacy he left behind?
General Rawat was an extremely competent military officer who reached the pinnacle of his profession as the Chief of Staff of the Indian Army and then as the first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in the Indian military. There are many vital contributions to his name throughout his career, but his most significant influence has been in the area of military reforms.
General Rawat’s duties as the CDS included bringing about jointness in the three services and carrying out reforms with the aim of augmenting the combat capabilities of the armed forces. As part of the reforms, General Rawat very vigorously pushed for the creation of integrated theatre commands. Currently, India has 17 service-specific commands, in addition to the tri-service Andaman and Nicobar Command and the Strategic Forces Command that is responsible for India’s nuclear assets.
Each service-specific command, apart from those responsible for training and maintenance, carries out its individual operational planning, with coordination being done at the Service Headquarters. This stovepipe approach has often resulted in sub-optimal synergising of operational plans between the three services. While it was accepted that joint warfighting is essential, there was a reluctance to shift from the existing commands to integrated command and control structures.
General Bipin Rawat, India’s first CDS, was on a mission to modernise the military. The nation will miss him
General Rawat’s plan for restructuring the military called for the creation of integrated theatre commands, which would have the necessary elements of all three services under its operational control. It was proposed to create a Western Theatre Command responsible for the western border, an Eastern Theatre Command responsible for the northern border, a Maritime Theatre Command to look after the maritime threat, and an Air Defence Command that would be responsible for the defence of India’s airspace.
There are some reservations, particularly in the Indian Air Force, on how the restructuring is planned. These issues need to be resolved through quiet, professional interactions. The creation of an integrated theatre commands is absolutely essential if the idea of joint warfighting is to be brought into reality. Once this principle is accepted, ways will have to be found to make it work.
Service-specific planning also created another operational deficiency. The services were focused on enhancing their conventional capability in traditional platforms like ships, aircraft, tanks, etc. Capabilities that straddled the three services were often ignored. These included areas like information warfare, cyber, and psychological operations.
It is now widely accepted that information is a new domain of warfare, and information dominance will be the key to winning both conventional and “grey zone” wars. While the Indian military has been a late starter in this field, the creation of a Defence Cyber Agency under the CDS has been a good step. As integration takes place, information warfare and cyber will find their appropriate place in the joint warfighting doctrine.
General Rawat was also responsible for assigning inter-services prioritisation to capital acquisition proposals. The budgetary demand of the three services always exceeds the money that is allocated by the government. In the past, this would lead to the services competing with each other to push through their own proposals. Theoretically, this could lead to a lop-sided capability development with some services not modernising at the same pace as others.
The CDS office would ensure that the priorities of the three services were given equal weightage. Looking holistically at the three services, it would also be easier to develop a long-term capability development plan that is in line with the joint warfighting doctrine.
Bringing about jointness also meant that the three services should be able to combine certain logistics and training facilities to avoid duplication. In this direction, General Rawat oversaw the operationalisation of three Joint Logistics Nodes at Guwahati, Port Blair and Mumbai. In times of stressed budgets, much more needs to be done to avoid duplication in facilities by individual services.
As we look at the security landscape, there are troubling signs. On our northern borders, a more aggressive Chinese military is turning the Line of Actual Control into a contested border. Pakistan remains an intractable foe engaged in a proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir. The situation in Afghanistan has the potential to spill over and impact the entire region. The growing presence of China in the Indian Ocean will at some stage challenge the current domination of the Indian Navy.
Under these circumstances, there is no option but to look at the current structure of the Indian military that could inhibit the adoption of joint warfighting practices. There is also a need to comprehensively analyse the type of capabilities that are required to be built up based on a realistic assessment of budget availability. All this calls for deep reforms.
In less than two years after he was appointed the CDS, General Rawat initiated a series of military reforms that are highly significant in scope. With his drive and determination, he would have ensured that the process is taken forward. Now that General Rawat is not at the helm, it must be ensured that the momentum is not lost.
The new CDS and the three service chiefs must take the military towards greater integration. Inter-service issues must not take precedence over necessary reforms. In case there are irreconcilable differences, the political leadership must step in. The Goldwater-Nichols Act reorganising the US military came when the policymakers lost faith in the ability of the military to overcome service parochialism. Hopefully, that stage will not come.
This column first appeared in the print edition on December 10, 2021 under the title ‘General Rawat’s legacy’. The writer retired as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Indian army’s Northern Command.
Most of Bharat felt that in small towns. The outpouring of grief in remote villages of Andhra Pradesh and the chants of Veer Vanakam in TN all attest to that.Rupesh wrote:Our soldiers have died earlier and everytime I felt saddened, but this time felt like I have lost someone, can't explain why.
Om Shanti.
To come straight to the point, General Rawat is deserving of the country’s highest award, the Bharat Ratna, an award that has currently been monopolised by civilians. Even though there are special awards for the armed forces, General Rawat bridged the divide between the people and their armed forces by his advocacy and stewardship over the last few years. Hence the only reward worthy of mention for him is the one that bridges the civilian-armed forces divide. Here's why.
One, his services to the nation have been no less than some of the people who have previously been awarded the Bharat Ratna.
Two, because, because, because this country must send a message to its own people and its enemies that India will pursue hard power options at any cost, and warriors who play an important role in shoring up the country’s offensive and defensive capabilities are as important as our civilian heroes.
My eulogy on General Bipin Rawat. A soldier who spoke from the heart and stuck to his views. He rubbed nations and politicians on the wrong side. Understood his task and role and pushed relentlessly to accomplish them.
A soldier’s soldier who speaks from his heart, sharing his opinion without concern of repercussions or criticism. He speaks when he is convinced and refuses to withdraw his comments despite pressures. He has time for everyone and never considers himself a cut above, notwithstanding having occupied the top spot in the military hierarchy. This is General Bipin Rawat who as the nation’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) was pushing the creation of theatre commands against opposition from different quarters. He was given a role and a task and General Rawat understood it was his responsibility to fulfil it.
Having served in every theatre in India, Bipin was more than qualified for the top post. He commanded his battalion along the LAC, brigade in J and K in counter insurgency operations and division along the LoC. He was the corps commander who launched the first cross border strike in Myanmar on 2015. It changed the context of Indian response to terrorist strikes and sent a message across the globe. Pakistan failed to take the hint and was the next to suffer. The lessons from this strike were implemented when India launched the first strike on Pak soil in 2016. Bipin had no hesitation in admitting his limitations. He had stated that his knowledge of operations of the navy and air force were enhanced as a CDS, and he hoped future generations would learn much faster.
Bipin knowledge of Chinese tactics, philosophy and methodology of operations had been built over time. He was aware that Chinese understood force and pressure, if resolutely applied. This is what he implemented in Doklam, where the Chinese were stopped in their tracks. He was certain that with passage of time they would pull back and it did happen. He stuck to the terms of Indo-China agreements thereby giving them little chance to protest.
Many decisions taken by him, including curtailing hotel accommodation, reduction of pension bills and limiting CSD procurements were criticized. However, these were not aimed at anyone’s benefit but to reduce wasteful expenditure and provide a level playing field to all. Some initially did feel that he was against his own brethren but over a period of time they understood. For Bipin, it was done to benefit the service and hence acceptable despite all criticism.
Indigenization and encouraging home industry increased during his watch. In the Lucknow defence expo, General Rawat devoted maximum time in Indian start-ups, enquiring, collecting details and advising them on how to move forward. He believed that the future lies in Atmanirbhar Bharat and dependency on imports must reduce in case we are to become a global military power. The regular release of negative list of imports added confidence within the domestic defence industry. His last visit was to Nagpur to support domestic manufacturing.
There are very few military leaders who have spoken with such conviction on a public platform as General Rawat has done, whether it be China, Pakistan, internal scenarios or even the China-Islamic network. China had protested when he termed them as India’s primary adversary. He stuck to his guns and refused to back down. In a subsequent seminar, addressing members of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) while referring to COVID 19, he warned that nations must be prepared for biological warfare. Evidently, he was again hitting at the Chinese.
In his role as the CDS pushing theatre commands, Bipin was doing what he believed in, integrating Indian armed forces into one cohesive fighting force. There was intense opposition from within as also from strategic analysts outside, as after all he was changing what had been considered acceptable for over seven decades. He believed that this was the future, and he went about convincing those who were opposing. He has created the base and shortly the nation would witness rolling out of theatre commands.
He also played a major role in military diplomacy. His recent visits to Russia and the US left a mark on those nations. Senior diplomatic and military members of these countries conveyed their grief at his untimely demise. Condolences pouring from every corner of the globe displayed the global reputation that he had created not only for himself but for the Indian armed forces.
Within India, General Rawat has always spoken his mind, ignoring criticism coming his way. Many of his statements have been adversely commented upon by some political parties. His comments on agitations drew angry response from few politicians, terming it as the army venturing into politics. Bipin had neither mentioned any ongoing agitation nor a political party. He considered he was sharing his views as an Indian, which is his constitutional right. Hence, he refused to withdraw these remarks despite political criticism.
Honouring Major Leetul Gogoi, who controlled a mob by tying a stone thrower to his jeep brought him into another controversy. An army spokesperson commented, ‘The award was given for his good work in CI operations in the Valley, including this incident.’ It brought forth a barrage of criticism, but General Rawat stuck to his guns. More recently his statement that J and K could face fresh restrictions brought anger amongst its politicians. Bipin spoke what he felt was right and that is rare from a military man.
Bipin lifted the reputation and prestige of the Indian armed forces not only within the country but also globally. He bonded well with people from all parts of the country. The love and affection shown by the masses, many of whom never saw or knew him displays affection for a national icon. He leaves behind a legacy which few would match. He has set the ball rolling for changing the armed forces into one for the future. It is hoped that this will be carried forward by whoever takes his place. The nation and the armed forces would miss this fearless and outspoken visionary.