General Bipin Rawat—India mourns death of first Chief of Defence Staff in a helicopter crash

General Bipin Rawat (63), India's first Chief of Defence Staff, his wife Madhulika, and 11 other military personnel were killed in a helicopter crash on Wednesday. The Russian-made Mi-17V5 helicopter crashed near Coonoor municipality, in the Nilgiri Hills, in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The exact cause of the crash, which happened in foggy weather around noon, isn't clear yet, and an investigation is on. After taking off from the Sulur air force base in Coimbatore, where the General had arrived from Delhi, the chopper was on its way to the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington, where he was scheduled to deliver a lecture. The crash happened only 10 minutes from the destination, according to news reports. Air Force officer Group Captain Varun Singh is reported to be the sole survivor of the crash. The heavily wooded hilly terrain of the crash site made rescue operations difficult, with the nearest road several kilometres away. Rescuers had to trek to the site, and there was no access to fire engines or even piped water. Locals helped, carrying water in buckets and pots, according to various news reports. The Indian Army confirmed that Brigadier LS Lidder, Lieutenant Colonel H Singh, Wing Commander PS Chauhan, Squadron Leader K Singh, Junior Warrant Officers Das and Pradeep A, Havildar Satpal, Naik Gursewak Singh, Naik Jitender, Lance Naik Vivek, and Lance Naik S Teja were the other defence personnel killed in the crash, according to The Hindu. Wing Commander PS Chauhan, Commanding Officer of the 109 Helicopter Unit (the Knights) at Air Force Station, Sulur, and Squadron Leader Kuldeep, piloted the crashed chopper, according to The Hindu. “I am deeply anguished,” India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter. “Gen. Bipin Rawat was an outstanding soldier. A true patriot, he greatly contributed to modernising our armed forces and security apparatus. His insights and perspectives on strategic matters were exceptional. His passing away has saddened me deeply. Om Shanti,” the prime minister said. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to make a statement in the parliament on Thursday. Condolences have come in from around the world. In a Pentagon statement, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd J Austin III, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley and Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said they were “deeply saddened” by the general’s death. “As India's first chief of defence, he made a lasting impact on the Indian military and reinforced our strong military-to-military relationship between the US and India," they said. General Bipin Laxman Singh Rawat (63) was born in a family of military officers. His father, Laxman Rawat, was a lieutenant general in the Indian Army. Bipin Rawat attended the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy, where he received the ‘sword of honour.’ He was commissioned into the Indian Army as a second lieutenant in 1978. In 2016, he was appointed India’s 27th Chief of Army Staff. He was the third officer from the Gorkha Brigade to become the chief of the Army Staff, after Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw and General Dalbir Singh Suhag. In January 2019, he was named India’s first Chief of Defence Staff. That same year, during a visit to America, General Rawat was inducted to the United States Army Command and General Staff College International Hall of Fame. The general’s highly decorated distinguished service included several strategic military initiatives in India, along our borders, and on international peace-keeping missions in Africa. The mortal remains of the General and his wife are to be brought to New Delhi today, and the funeral is to take place on Friday. They are survived by two daughters.

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