On Wednesday, India lost its finest son. An army man par excellence, General Bipin Rawat was killed in a helicopter crash at Tamil Nadu’s Coonoor. Along with him, his wife, Madhulika Rawat and 11 others succumbed to their injuries. General Bipin Rawat was in the Mi-17V-5 helicopter along with his wife, defence assistant, security commandos, and an IAF pilot when the chopper crashed due to reasons which are yet to be ascertained. The crash took place shortly after the Russian-made Mi-17 V5 chopper took off from the Air Force base in Sulur, Coimbatore, for Wellington in the Nilgiri Hills. General Bipin Rawat was on his way to the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington where he was to deliver a lecture.
As India’s first chief of defense staff, General Bipin Rawat was the highest-ranked military general of the country. Previously, he also served as the chief of army staff. His service to India for the past many decades ensured that the country remains safe from both external as well as internal threats. As CDS, he was not only leading the Indian military’s modernisation efforts but was also helping achieve seamless interoperability and cohesion between the army, air force, and navy.
The Mi-17V5 Helicopter – A Shocking Casualty
According to a retired Indian Air Force officer, the Mi-17V5 is considered one of the “safest” and “most modern” military transport helicopters. Quoted by the Indian Express, he said, “One must wait for the detailed investigation, but the past record of the helicopter model shows it is impeccable and 100% reliable.” According to sources, no system malfunction or snag was reported in the helicopter in its last few sorties. The Mi-17V5 helicopter that crashed Wednesday had flown more than 26 hours without a snag after it was last serviced.
The Mi-17V-5 is the latest twin-engine iteration of the Russian-made Mi-17 transport helicopter and is used regularly for high-altitude operations. It is among the most advanced and safest military transports that can be used in any topography and weather. For its reliability and safety, this chopper is used to ferry VVIPs across India, including the Prime Minister and President. Prior to any VIP flights, the aircraft undergoes a three-stage mechanical check, following which access to the aircraft is sealed.
For such a chopper to crash is both unprecedented as well as shocking. The Mi-17V-5 helicopters are a pillar of India’s defense forces, and the country owns at least 80 of these choppers – with the most recent deliveries dating back to 2018.
Is this Sabotage?
When the first chief of defense staff, his wife, and 11 others die in a helicopter crash – it is only natural for citizens to feel the nation has been left vulnerable, and that the crash itself might be due to sabotage by India’s many enemies. What has also raised suspicions is the nature of the crash, the helicopter which crashed, and the stakes that were involved.
The chopper in question is known to brave unpleasant and extremely challenging weather. On Wednesday, the atmospheric condition around Wellington and Coonoor were surely not pleasant in purely aviation terms, but they were nothing close to something which the Mi-17V5 chopper could not bear. A high-level enquiry has been constituted by the Indian Air Force to investigate the cause of the crash. At the time of filing this report, forensic teams and investigators had reached the crash spot. Soon, India should get a sense of clarity regarding the crash that claimed India’s finest military general and servicemen.
General Bipin Rawat Struck Terror in Hearts of India-Haters
General Bipin Rawat was outspoken. He said what he felt needed to be said. He did not concern himself with the political incorrectness of his statements to some. In 2018, speaking about the drive of some to ensure Kashmir gets “freedom”, General Bipin Rawat said, “AZADI will not happen, you cannot fight the Army.” He added, “Why are you picking up weapons? We will always fight those who seek Azadi, those who want to secede. (Azadi) is not going to happen, never.”
A day before his demise, the General cautioned countries against the threat posed by biological warfare, in the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic wreaking havoc across the world. General Rawat said, “If biological warfare is beginning to take shape, we need to put our act together and strengthen ourselves to ensure our nations are not affected by these viruses and diseases.” He said biological warfare “is also becoming a new kind of warfare”.
Read more: General Bipin Rawat inducted into the Hall of Fame of his US alma mater
General Bipin Rawat was at the centre of preparing India to take on the Chinese threat for the past year and a half. To the Parliament’s Standing Committee on Defence, General Bipin Rawat said, “Armed Forces are ready for anything.” He reiterated that the Indian forces are on alert and will give a befitting reply to the Chinese in case of any misadventure along the border.
General Bipin Rawat was the man who popularised the term “2.5 front”. He not only coined the term, but also used it extensively to describe how India faces a two-front threat externally, in the form of China and Pakistan, and the threat of half a front that is ready to rise against the country at very short notice from within. Islamists, Naxals, northeastern militants, anti-India NGOs, Khalistanis – they all constitute an internal threat to India, and Bipin Rawat was the man leading the crusade against them.
In Bipin Rawat, India has lost its bravest and most astute son. The loss for the country is irreparable, and the incident which took his life must be investigated at the highest of levels.