General Rawat share special bond with people of Baramulla and they are in more pain like rest of the nation: GoC 15 Corps Lt Gen D P Pandey
Reyaz Rashid
Baramulla: Known as ‘People’s General’ during his tenures in north Kashmir’s Uri, Sopore and Baramulla, first Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat had a very special bond with the not people of Baramulla but with the whole of Kashmir, General Officer Commanding of Srinagar based 15 Corps, Lt Gen D P Pandey said on Thursday.
as he had close connection with them and loved them, general officer commanding of the Army’s Chinar Corps, Lt Gen D P Pandey said on Thursday.
While paying rich tributes to slain CDS General Rawat who has served in Barmaulla as Company Commander in Uri, Commander of 5 Sector (RR) in Watlab Sopore ,GoC Dagger Division in Baramulla, GoC Pandey said that people of Baramulla in north Kashmir have lost more than anyone else in chief of defence staff General Bipin Rawat’s death and it will take a lot of time for all of us to come out of this grief.
“I do not think I have seen the amount of love, connect which he (Rawat) had with the people of Uri and Baramulla and with the people of whole Kashmir. If you see the DP (display picture on social media accounts) especially of the media-men, I think everyone has a picture with him,” Lt Gen Pandey said while talking to reporters on the sidelines of a solemn ceremony was organized by the Army in Sherwani Hall Baramulla at Sherwani which people from e from different walks of life paid homage to CDS General Bipin Rawat.
During his tenure in Baramulla district , he was known as the “peoples General.” He said Gen Rawat used to attend phone calls from everyone from Baramulla and always fulfill the demands and requirements of public.
“He (Rawat) would listen to their requirements and then he would call me and ask me to listen to their demands and help them. I am sure the people of Baramulla have lost more than anyone else,” he said.
Describing the death of CDS and others in the helicopter crash as a huge tragedy, the GoC said it will take a lot of time to come out of the grief.
“I really wanted to come here to Baramulla where he was a GoC. Though he was also the commander of 5 Sector (RR), the two tenures were close to his heart especially because of the people. I am sure you all must be feeling this loss like the Indian Army, Armed forces and the whole country is feeling. His wife and others were also killed and this is a huge tragedy and it will take a lot of time for us to come out of this grief,” he said.
The Dagger Division commander, Major Gen Ajay Chandpuri, and prominent people from civil and district administration were present during the function where glowing tributes were paid to General Rawat and others who lost their lives in Wednesday’s chopper crash.
Later, candle light marches were taken out in Baramulla, Kupwara and Machil in his memory and participants observed two minutes of silence for the departed souls and prayed to the Almighty to grant them eternal peace.