A General Par Excellence: CDS Bipin Rawat

Lt Gen Vinod Khandare Dec 17, 2021

While paying tributes to General Bipin Rawat, the country's first chief of defence, a four star General, his wife and 12 others killed in IAF chopper crash, the Prime Minister said he worked “hard to make the country's armed forces self-reliant”. His pain indeed is also the pain of his countrymen and women. As writers, though we belong to different backgrounds we feel his passion for work, in our own ways. It is also a testimony to his steely resolve, passion, and single-minded purpose in all that he did. No wonder he was tasked to be the first Chief of Defence Staff, (CDS). His confidence, his capability and an exceptional national commitment were his armour. Every patriotic Indian will certainly work hard to make his dream come true, that of a country being more powerful.

As a co-serviceman, and a year junior to him, I had several opportunities to work and interact with him, the memories of which are still fresh. I had relieved him in Baramulla as General Officer Commanding 19, Infantry Division. I cannot forget the love and affection and the connect he had with the people of Baramulla, Uri, and especially the people of Kashmir. These very attributes later helped in negotiating many a turbulent time and easing pressures in Kashmir. My association with him on almost a daily basis since 2012 was probably my best time in the armed forces. Further, he was tasked to raise the Department of Military Affairs, of which he was the Secretary. The DMA provided integration between the armed forces of the Union and the Ministry of Defence.

We carried out a number of intelligence tasks and operations when I was Director General, Defence Intelligence Agency and he was Vice Chief of Army Staff, subsequent to which he became the Chief of Army Staff. I could see the no nonsense work ethics in him as did his other contemporaries.

When he became the first Chief of Defence Staff, I was the Military Adviser at National Security Council Secretariat and again we worked together on many reform initiatives in the national interest. That the Prime Minister had such immense faith in his capabilities to bring about much needed reforms in the Defence sector was not a bit misplaced.

Be it Border Area infrastructure initiatives, or indigenisation of Defence Production, optimisation of Ordnance Factories, Enhancement of Indian Space and Cyber capabilities, forward area rail connectivity, integration of Army, Navy and Air Force, integrated approach towards DRDO or to get the best technologies for Armed forces, they were all piloted by him successfully.

Atmanirbharta or self-reliance, is necessary in every aspect of life. All that is in our control is happiness and that in others is pain. This is true in Defense more than any other sector. The early seeds were sown when the then Secretary DRDO and the AICTE launched a pilot to promote indigenization in the defense sector with a modest investment of Rs 20 Cr. Based on the German model of Fraunhofer and Max-Planck Societies, the project would allow integrating several research centers and manufacturing hubs with the technical institutions and create multiple supply chains. The project had a lot of potential as the General envisaged those days. The country needs entrepreneurs and startup mavericks. Indigenization was the only way to go.

General Rawat, in his own inimitable style, promoted Atmanirbhar Bharat, when he assumed the position of CDS, by identifying over 100 defence products which could be manufactured in India. It stopped expensive imports, and shored up reserves.

He had taken many initiatives on merit, related to technology discovery, preventing wastages, standardising procedures and processes within in the tri services. A much-needed project “Theaterisation” of the Military, was a work in progress when the General left us. This will see multiple unified commands being created over the next “two-three years” to fight battles in the future and focus on specific borders and roles. His effort at forging synergy and promoting Indian interests between various foreign military chiefs is something I cannot forget. The much needed “jointness”, integrated planning and synergy between the three-armed forces, was near to his heart. The Tri service exercises in India and abroad are cases in point.

As we all know, the Covid 19 pandemic has devastated many lives. The Government had to provide for not only vaccines but also take care of its citizens. Strategies were required apart from the medical procedures and exigencies. The General was again there at the forefront to handhold.

I can go on and on describing the General’s passion for work. Be it his advice to PM, RM and the NSA or his keen interest in infrastructure promotion in the border areas, or the recent responses to the Chinese or Pakistan’s aggression, they are all noteworthy.

There is a human side to the General which many may not know or understand. Be it his orientation efforts of officers and subordinates to national commitment or the keen interest he took in providing alternate routes and equivalences to the NDA certifications of the services retired personnel, by engaging AICTE proactively, he was a soldier’s man all the way.

His was a personality that was truly lively. Juniors, peers and seniors appreciated his bold and straightforward approach even at the risk of unpopularity. He had time for everyone. For the armed forces and those outside it. For foreigners, for rich and the poor, for the young and the old. He did all that with a smile and in the national interest.

Helen Keller once had said: “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart” Truly beautiful things will continue to happen, but we will need the hearts that feel. The General may have left this world. But he will always be with us. We will always feel him.