A tragedy and a national loss

It is with a great sense of shock and dismay that the country received the news that it had lost its top-most military officer, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Bipin Rawat, in a helicopter crash in Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday. Old soldiers do not die, but only fade away, but it was not in Gen Rawat’s nature to fade away, either. He was not the conventional soldier who would keep to the barracks and keep the world out of his mind. Even as an officer of high calibre, he had his views on many matters and expressed them without hesitation, and faced criticism for some of his comments. But it is not at death that these are to be discussed, especially when the death is unnatural and tragic. He was the first CDS of the country. The government handpicked him to be the single-point military adviser to it and to bring about force transformation through the creation of theatre commands. Over the last 18 months or so, through the continuing border stand-off with China, he had been carrying out these critical roles. The government will have to ensure that his departure does not lead to a slackening in any of these.

Also Read | All you need to know about the IAF chopper carrying CDS Gen Bipin Rawat, others that crashed

Apart from Gen Rawat and his wife, Madhulika Rawat, there were 12 others, some of them senior army officers, in the Mi-17V5 helicopter that crashed in the hilly terrains of Coonoor. All but one is reported to have died. The mishap has national security implications of a high order and the questions surrounding it will, hopefully, be answered in the coming days. Gen Rawat was on an official visit and was going from the Sulur airbase to the Wellington cantonment at Ooty. Initial reports have indicated that the copter crashed either due to inclement weather or because it hit a tree. The first question that would arise is whether such weather had been taken into consideration when the short-duration trip was planned. There will be other questions when the details of the crash emerge.

Also Read | RIP Gen Bipin Rawat: India’s first CDS who initiated one of the most crucial reforms in defence

The Mi-17 V5 variant is one of the latest versions of the Mi series military transport helicopter which is used around the world. It is considered safe but has been involved in some accidents. An IAF Mi-17 copter crash-landed in Arunachal Pradesh last month though there was no loss of life. Helicopter crashes have taken lives in India in the past. Notably, Andhra Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy and Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu died in helicopter crashes in 2009 and 2011, respectively. There have been other casualties too. The latest, though, will deeply trouble the nation, which would salute a distinguished soldier who took leave in the most unfortunate circumstances.

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