THE FIGHTING GENERAL

OBITUARY GEN. BIPIN RAWAT 1958-2021

- Sandeep Unnithan

General Bipin Rawat, 63, who died tragically in a helicopter crash on December 8, was India’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and longest-serving general. On December 31 this year, he would have completed an unprecedented five years as a general, three as India’s 26th Chief of Army Staff and two as its first CDS. He eclipsed General K.S. Thimayya’s record of four years last December, without even knowing he had. The burden of expectations from being permanent Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee; Secretary, Department of Military Affairs and functional head of the tri-services operational commands like the Andaman & Nicobar Command and Strategic Forces Command meant that such personal milestones were somewhat trivial. General Rawat had bigger goals. He would have overseen the creation of India’s first four theatre commands, combining formations of the three existing 17 single-service commands by next year. He was to also kick off an integrated capability development plan to streamline and reprioritise hardware acquisitions by the three services.