India's  one of the greatest four star generals, Bipin Rawat, the serving Chief of the Defence Staff  is no more with us.  The brave son of Himalaya and his wife Madhulika Rawat  and 11  other armed staff personal died in an  IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter  accident that crashed at Kateri near Coonoor in the Nilgris in Tamil Nadu Wednesday that has sent shockwaves in the country more particularly in home state of Uttarakhand and Shimla city where he had a stint in schooling at St Edwards. 

"With deep regret, Gen Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat along with 11 other personnel  on board  have been killed  in  ill-fated IAF helicopter, says  IAF.  Group Captain Varun Singh SC, directing staff at DSSC with injuries is under treatment  at the military hospital  Wellington, says IAF. 

Gen  Bipin Rawat was on a visit to Wellington Defence college  in the Nilgiris  to address the facility and student officers of the staff courses today, says IAF. 

The dead are identified through the DNA testing, revealed agencies reports. 

The Cabinet Committee on Security that met  at the residence of Prime Minister Narender Modi in the evening would take a call on  the fallout of the crash and  new commander for the armed forces, revealed sources.    

The crash that killed India's top commander  has become as a big concern for the Indian armed forces at a time when it is facing multiple challenges in high altitude borders with China and Pakistan and insurgency in northeast, Jammu and Kashmir  and other parts of the country as Gen Bipin Rawat was a great strategist in high altitude warfare, said the defence analysts.  

Gen Rawat is survived by his two daughters, Kritika Rawat and Tarini Rawat.  He was born in Sain village  in the Pauri Garhwal  in family of army officer  Laxman Singh Rawat, in  Uttarakhand  in March, 1958. 

11 other armed staff personnel  who died in the crash included four Indian air force personnel- Wg cdr PS Chauhan, Sqr leader K Singh, JWO Rana Pratap Das, JWO Pradeep A. And the seven army personnel who died in the  crash are Naik Jitender Kumar (3, para SF), Lt Col Harjinder Singh, Brig LS Lidder  Hawaldar Satpal Raj, Lanc Naik Vivek Kumar (I Para SF), NK Gursewak Singh (9, Para SF), Lance Naik BS Teja, 11 Para (SF). 

According to the IAF,  an inquiry has been ordered  to ascertain the case of the accident. The helicopter crashed  at Kateri  near Coonoor in the Nilgiris  just minutes before it was landing at the Wellington Gymkhana helipad, sources said.  But  many questions that need answers are: Was it a snag, or poor visibility or security lapse or natural hazard or an error of judgement that led to the tragic crash? 

The chopper took off from air force station in Sulur in  Coimbatore today and headed for the Wellington Defence Service Staff College  where Gen Rawat was  to deliver a lecture.

Gen Rawat and his wife and staff of 12 other personnel were on board in the ill-fated helicopter that has sent shockwaves in the country.  Gen Rawat's PSO Lance Naik B Sai Teja, from elite Para SF, who comes Chittaur also died in the crash. 

The locals rushed to the crashed site to put off the flames of  burning ill-fated chopper.   

According  to the eyewitness accounts, the helicopter hit a tree and  burst into flames. There was poor visibility in the forest area due to the fog, they reportedly told the rescuers from army and local administrator from Coonoor. 

Rescue operation of army and local administration  has sent the injured to the Wellington hospital, and four bodies  were recovered from the wreckage site and other bodies were retrieved latter, said the reports. 

Gen Rawat had survived a crash that  had taken place in Dimapur airbase  in Nagaland  in 2015.  His cheetah chopper crashed just after gaining height of 100 ft , but it did not catch fire. He suffered bruises in the arm only, but the General  straightway headed for the meeting at Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh  after taking another chopper, recalled the then Chief Secretary Arunachal Pradesh,  Ramesh Negi .  

Gen Rawat's and his wife's death is very tragic, it is a big loss to the nation, said Negi,  while expressing his condolences to the family members.  He knew Gen Rawat personally and he had attended his daughter wedding few years ago.  

Gen Rawat was a four star General  and was the first of  Chief of Defence staff, the highest military post in Indian Armed Forces. Gen Rawat is the first top soldier from the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand  and first General who has become the Army Chief and first Chief of the Defence Staff. 

As soon as the news of tragic crash went viral on social media and news channels, people in the Himalayan region  including Chief Ministers  and LGs  of UTs had prayed for all well- being  and speedy recovery of  Gen Rawat, his wife and his staff, but their prayers remained unanswered as the fate had it otherwise. 

Gen Rawat had come to Shimla on May 13, 2019 and visited St. Edwards School where he had a stint in schooling. He was a lively person, a great motivator and  has a josh and intellect of great General  that still is fresh in  the memories of all of us, recalled the emotive students in Shimla. 

The residents of Shimla have expressed their deep sorrow and condolences  over the tragic death of Gen Rawat and his wife Madhulika  and all the 11 other soldiers killed in the crash, to their bereaved family members. 

Sonam Wanchuk,  who runs an NGO in Ladakh said the brave die never. " Gen Rawat was with us  few weeks ago.  He had come see the solar heated Insulated Ladakhi shelters. As a tough soldiers, he strongly agreed that the Jawans  at frontiers should be battle-ready in 12 degree C temperature not in 22 degree C". 

He was a tough soldier and hailed from his  remote parental village Sain  in Dwarikhal block of Birmoli in Uttarakhand. He along with his wife and family members had visited the village on April 29, 2018 trekking a distance of one km  to the village while driving from Lansdowne, home of the Garhwal Rifles. He met his family members  and refreshed his childhood memories there by spending few hours with them and locals, who had asked him to link the village by the road. 

He had visited Lansdowne on April 30. It  was Gen Rawat's favourite retreat and being a command office of the Garhwal Rifles as many of childhood memories are associated with  this place, recalled his relative. 

(Kuldeep Chauhan is Editor and Publisher, HimbuMail, voice of Himalayan people)