NDA batchmate remembers 'visionary' Gen Bipin Rawat, says he was apt as India's first CDS

Terming the demise of General Bipin Rawat as a "big loss", a close friend and National Defence Academy (NDA) batchmate said the "visionary" was the right choice for the country's first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).

Speaking with ANI, Brigadier Mandeep Singh Sandhu (Retd), Ex-Army Special Forces, recalled how General Rawat was "very focused" on doing something for the nation and the Army always.

"He was the right choice as the first CDS due to his wide operational experience," Brigadiar Sandhu said.

"He would always talk of how the Army needed to reorganise itself into a modern fighting force," he added.

Remembering CDS Rawat as a very soft-spoken person who always made time to communicate with his batchmates, Brig Sandhu said, "We were very close friends; we were in the same NDA class and had also commanded Brigades in Kashmir together."

CDS Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 other defence personnel died after the Indian Air Force (IAF) Mi-17V5 helicopter carrying them crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.

General Rawat was on his way to the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington to address the faculty and student officers of the Staff Course. The chopper crashed in the Nilgiris district.

CDS Rawat's DA Brigadier LS Lidder and SO Lieutenant Colonel Harjinder Singh, NK Gursewak Singh, NK Jitendra Kumar, L/NK Vivek Kumar, L/NK B Sai Teja, Hav Satpal were among other defence personnel on the ill-fated chopper.

Group Captain Varun Singh, SC, Directing Staff at DSSC, the sole survivor of the crash, is undergoing treatment at Military Hospital in Wellington.

Sources said the chopper crashed just minutes before reaching its destination in Tamil Nadu's Wellington.

The chopper took off at 11:48 am from the Sulur Air Base and was reported to be missing at around 12:22 pm, they said.

The mortal remains of Gen Rawat and his wife are expected to reach Delhi by Thursday evening and be

( With inputs from ANI )

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