The journey of India's first Chief of Defence Staff late General Bipin Rawat is a "masterclass in leadership", said Vice Chief of Army Lieutenant General N.S. Raja Subramani on the third death anniversary of General Rawat.
In a tragic loss for the country, General Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, and 11 other Armed Forces personnel were killed in a helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu on December 8, 2021. Gen Rawat was travelling to the Defence Staff College in Wellington from the Indian Air Force base in Sulur near Coimbatore when the Mi-17V5 helicopter of the IAF crashed near Coonoor.
General Subramani noted that it has been three years since India lost this "valiant patriot, a competent military strategist and a leader par excellence."
ALSO READ: Indian Air Force chief rally commanders for multi-domain warfare readiness
Calling Gen Rawat one of the greatest leaders and military professionals in the country, he said the late military leader was a scholar soldier and a military reformer with an exceptional ability to envisage the future.
"He was a flamboyant leader, yet he had a carefully thought out leadership style which endured him not only to the Indian army but to the nation at large," General Subramani said, and called the achievements of Gen Rawat in all aspects of military and national security affairs “remarkable.”
“Known for his unwavering commitment to duty, razor-sharp strategic acumen, and extraordinary vision, General Rawat was more than a soldier. He was an institution in himself. His journey, replete with challenges and triumphs, is a masterclass in leadership,” General Subramani said.