New Delhi: Late CDS Bipin Rawat’s life was full of controversies and his death also put a lot of questions which are yet to be answered. In 2015, when he was in charge of the 3 Corps, Gen Rawat initiated India’s first officially declared surgical strikes on foreign territory when he sent troops of a para-commando battalion to attack Naga rebels inside Myanmar after an ambush on Indian troops.
In the same year, he survived a helicopter crash in the north-eastern state of Nagaland. In 2016, he took over as India’s 27th Indian army chief, superseding two officers who were senior to him. The following year, India sparked an international controversy when it awarded a medal to an army officer who tied a civilian to the front of his jeep in Indian-administered Kashmir. Gen Rawat had defended the move, describing the officer’s actions as an “innovation” in a “dirty war”. “People are throwing stones at us, people are throwing petrol bombs at us. If my men ask me what do we do, should I say, just wait and die? I will come with a nice coffin with a national flag and I will send your bodies home with honour. Is it what I am supposed to tell them as chief? I have to maintain the morale of my troops who are operating there,” he said. In 2019, the government of Narendra Modi set up the position of CDS to improve coordination between India’s army, navy and air force.
The new chief also had control over funding for the military. When he took charge, Gen Rawat faced criticism over his alleged closeness to the ruling BJP. He always denied these accusations. His critics said some of his statements went against the “apolitical” tradition of India’s military. He once described the rise of the Muslim-dominated All India United Democratic Front party in Assam as a national security threat, which led minority leaders to accuse him of “parroting” the BJP’s line.
In recent months, the general was focusing on modernising the military though integrated theatre commands. His statement of calling Indian Air Force just a supporting arm and its rebuttal right from the mouth of Air Chief Bhadauria also jolted the inter services relations. His political activism was also criticized by a lot people from different walks of life. His letter to Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and recommendations to take action against the then Army Chief MM Naravane for negligence vis-à-vis LAC and Galwan Valley attack by Chinese also remained in highlights. And at the end, his death in heli crash left so many question yet to be answered. Although in the inquiry report the onus was put on the misjudgment of the pilot however sensible people are still questioning, pointing fingers of suspicion to internal fissures. Web Desk
