Military Chief Bipin Rawat: A Soldier's General
NDTV
General Rawat joined the Army in 1978 and was shot in a firefight with Pakistani forces when he was stationed at a remote border post in Kashmir
General Bipin Rawat was an outspoken but hugely popular "soldier's general" who was wounded in a border battle and survived an aircraft crash before dying in a helicopter accident yesterday.
The military in India has traditionally stayed well clear of political debates, unlike neighbouring Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar, all of which have seen multiple coups.
The 63-year-old General Rawat -- seen as close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- upended that norm, openly speaking out on issues ranging from foreign policy and geopolitics to domestic political questions.
And as army chief he said that citizens should fear their own country's forces.
