The liaison officer Group Captain Varun Singh, Shaurya Chakra, an instructor at Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) watched, as the IAF Embraer fixed wing aircraft landed and headed for the parking bay for the Sulur Airbase, home of Tejas LCA at 1134 hours on December 8, 2021. A MI17V5 helicopter was earmarked for onward journey to Wellington near hill station of Coonoor in the Nilgiris. General Bipin Rawat, his wife, Brig K S Lidder, Lt Col Harjinder Singh followed by protection team of Special Forces disembarked from the aircraft. The CDS General Bipin Rawat was received by the Station Commander and escorted to helicopter bay. The flight manifesto was finally handed over to Co Pilot Sqn Ldr K Singh. He checked up and found there were total 12 passengers on board excluding Chief Pilot Gp Capt Prithvi Singh Chauhan. They were CDS, Mrs Madhulika Rawat, Brig K S Lidder, Lt Col Harjinder Singh, Hav Satpal , NK Gursevak Singh, Nk Jitender Singh, L/NK Vivek Kumar, L/NK S Teja and support crew Junior Warrant Officer Das and JWO A Pradeep of IAF.
Gp Capt Varun Singh also boarded the twin engine NATO code name HIP Russian origin MI17 medium lift helicopter, a reliable and versatile machine. The ground staff removed the undercarriage blocks and got final OK certificate from crew and withdrew. MI17V5 chopper’s both rotors achieved full RPM and started rolling on the runway. Air Traffic Control (ATC) finally gave green signal and the heli machine took up towards foggy Nilgiris at 1147 hours. The average height of Nilgiri Mountain is 7500 feet above sea level. It is famous for hill station called Ootacamund (Ooty) also called Queen of the Hills. The distance from Coimbatore is 85 kms and by road travelling time is 3 hours and just 25 mins by Air. The helicopter lost contact with ATC at 1220 hours and crashed in a woody gorge near Nanjappa Chathiram hamlet, Bandishola Panchayat, Katteri block, Coonoor district about 20 kms from Wellington and burst into flames .The general area had thick white fog covering all mountains and probably due to poor visibility the aircraft nosedived and hit tall trees and dragged in to uneven tea gardens. The nearby local tea plantation workers rushed to site of accident but aviation high octane fuel fire prevented them. It was a gruesome sight, some of the passengers were burnt beyond recognition and four were found alive and breathing. The local police was first to arrive and provided first aid and informed army authorities at Madras Regimental Centre and DSSC. Army Columns reached after one hour and evacuated all dead and injured to MH Wellington.
The nation was stunned and praying for the survivors. There was suspense in the air regarding well being of CDS and fellow passengers of ill-fated MI17. The Air Force official handle finally tweeted at 1803 hours on December 8, 2021 and announced that with deep regret, it had been ascertained that Gen Bipin Rawat, Mrs Rawat and 11 other persons on board have died in the unfortunate accident and Gp Capt Varun Singh, SC was under treatment at Military Hospital at Wellington. He is currently undergoing treatment at AFC Hospital, Bangalore and is on life support.
The farewell given by citizens of Tamilnadu to bravehearts was overwhelming. The ladies in tears saluted the ambulance convoy and masses paid homage to all soldiers by offering petals and shouting “Veer Vallkam”. The mortal remains in wooden coffins draped in tricolour were airlifted from Sulur Airbase at 1600 hours by IAF C130J Hercules and reached Palam airbase at 1900 hours. PM and Defence Minister paid floral tributes along with near and dear ones at 2000 hours on December 9, 2021.
The final journey of mortal remains of General and his wife started from his official residence, Kamaraj Road, New Delhi at 14OO hours and reached Brar square crematorium at 1615 hrs in a cavalcade of army vehicles followed a group of runners. Defence Minister and Army Chief laid wreaths along with foreign dignitaries’. A joint guard of honour was offered with 17 Gun salute. The last post was sounded at 1645 hrs. The national flags were neatly removed from coffins and handed over two daughters Kritika and Tarini. The pyre was lit by them and mortal remains of couple were consigned to flames 1700 hours on December 10, 2021. Adieu forever… General. The nation salutes you. You will remain in our memories and the nation forever.
General Bipin Laxman Singh Rawat, PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC was the first Chief of Defence Staff of Indian Armed Forces from January 1, 2020 to December 8, 2021. He was the 26th Chief of Indian Army and served from December 31, 2016 to December 31, 2019 and also served as the 57th Chairman of Chief of Staff Committee from September 27, 2019 to December 31, 2019.
He was born on December 16, 1958 in Pauri town of Pauri Garhwal district in Uttarakhand. His father was Lt Gen Laxman Singh Rawat and was from Sainj village in Pauri. He studied in Cambrian Hall School Dehradun initially and later at St Edwards School. He joined National Defence Academy in July 1974 and joined Indian Military Academy in January 1978 and passed out as 63 Regular Course in December 1978 and was awarded the prestigious” Sword of Honour”.
He was commissioned into 5th battalion of 11 Gorkha Rifles (5/11 GR) on December 16, 1978 as parental claim. His father also belonged to the same unit. In 1987, as a captain, he was deployed at a forward post in Sumdorong valley with his battalion during Sino-Indian skirmish against People Liberation Army in Arunachal Pradesh. He commanded a Rifle Company in Uri Sector in Kashmir. He commanded 5/11 GR in the Kibuthu sector (Walong) in the Eastern sector on the Line of Actual Control. Later he took over as 5 Sector commander Rashtriya Rifles located in Sopore Kashmir, the hot bed of Militancy. Later, he was selected to command a Multinational United Nations Brigade (MONUSCO) in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He protected Goma, capital of North Kivu in DP of Congo and saved a massacre and brought main insurgent group to mainstream and stabilised the region in May 2009. He was twice awarded UN Force Commander Commendation. He was promoted as Major General and was appointed as 19 Division Commander in Kashmir. He also served as Major General GS at Eastern Command. He took over 3 Corps on promotion to Lt General and operated in insurgency infested Manipur and Nagaland and established strong Counter Intelligence Grid. There was an ambush by National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang Group) and PLA in Chandel district in Manipur in June 2015 in which 18 Soldiers were killed. General Rawat was the architect of first cross border surgical strike and Heptr borne Special Forces raided two insurgent camps and killed about 100 insurgents. He was promoted to Army Commander Southern Army in January 1, 2016 and assumed appointment of Vice Chief of Army Staff on September 1, 2016. He was promoted as Chief of Army Staff as 27th COAS of Indian Army on December 31, 2016 and relinquished appointment on December 31, 2019. On December 24, 2019, the present government approved appointment of post of Chief of Defence staff (CDS) as recommended by Kargil Review committee, a four star General, a tri service chief to lead defence forces, permanent chairman of Chief of Staff Committee and Secretary of Dept of Military Affairs.
General Bipin Rawat was appointed by Govt of India as first CDS. He advocated tri-services theatre commands for dealing with two hostile neighbours. Galwan clash in Ladakh on LAC almost triggered the possibility of second Indo-China War in June 2020. The joint response under leadership of General Rawat mobilised Army, Air force and Navy at fast pace. All posts on LAC were reinforced by Special Forces with help of Air Force C17 Globe Masters and C130J Hercules. SU 30MK 1, Jaguars made 100 of sorties day and night and P8I of Navy carried out strategic deep reconnaissance missions detecting Chinese deployments. This was the vision of General Bipin Rawat. Red Dragon was taken aback with speedy deployment. The status quo could not be altered.
The sudden demise of General Bipin Rawat has suddenly left a vacuum in military hierarchy. The cabinet committee on security meeting was held on December 8, 2021 to discuss the situation and select a new CDS. Gen Bipin Rawat will be remembered for modernisation, indigenisation and theaterisation of Indian Armed forces. The new concepts are always challenging. The foremost task of the government is to select a new CDS and it will be the biggest tribute to the bravehearts.
To quote from Bhagwad Gita, Krishna told Arjun in Mahabharata – “DO NOT LAMENT DEATH OF A WARRIOR KILLED IN THE BATTLEFIELD/LINE OF DUTY AS THOSE WHO SACRIFICE THEIR LIVES IN BATTLEFIELD ARE HONOURED IN HEAVEN”.
-The writer is an Indian Army veteran and a defence analyst. He has keen interest in Geo-strategic affairs and writes regularly on internal and external affairs issues related to India and neighbours. The views expressed are personal and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda.
