India’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat were cremated on Friday evening with full military honours at the Brar Square crematorium in Delhi Cantonment. The couple’s two daughters Tarini and Kritika performed traditional rituals at their home before the funeral procession began around 2.20 pm.
Kritika is the eldest daughter who is married, has a son and lives in Mumbai. The younger sibling, Tarini is an advocate and used to stay with the parents in the national capital, according to reports.
Madhulika, daughter of late Kunwar Mrigendra Singh of Sohagpur Garhi in Madhya Pradesh’s Shahdol district, had got married to Rawat in 1986 when he was a Captain. Her family currently lives in the ancestral residence ‘Rajabagh’ in the Shahdol district headquarter.
Madhulika Rawat was the President of AWWA (Army Wives Welfare Association), one of the largest NGOs in India which helps in ensuring the welfare of wives, children, and dependents of Army personnel. Previously, the General’s wife has been a part of many welfare programs and campaigns that aid the Veer Naris (Army widows), cancer patients and differently-abled children. She completed her studies in Delhi and completed her graduation in psychology from Delhi University.
Rawat’s brother-in-law Yash Vardhan Singh said the late General had promised to visit Shahdol in January 2022, and had assured to take steps in setting up a ‘Sainik school’ in the district.
The couple were cremated on a common pyre and their ashes will be immersed in Haridwar, he said. “Both Gen Rawat and my sister were cremated on a common pyre. We will pick the ashes early morning tomorrow in a ‘kalash’ and then head to Haridwar where the ashes will be immersed in holy Ganga and some rituals will be performed,” Singh told PTI.
Rawat, a native of Uttarakhand had last visited his native village in Pauri in 2018 and had plans to build a house there after his retirement, his uncle Bharat Singh Rawat recalled. Rawat’s family has been serving in the Indian Army for four generations.
Jaipur-based Vijay Rawat, 60, Gen Rawat’s younger brother who attended the tri-services ceremony in Delhi said, “I had spoken to him before he went to Tamil Nadu to attend the function at Wellington. Had never thought fate would take him away from us,” he said.
Bharat Singh Rawat said the general was attached to his village and had told people that he would do something for the area after retirement. The General used to talk over the phone to him and had plans to visit the village in April next year.
It is only the general’s family that lives at Saina village of Dwarikhal block.
Gen Rawat and his wife were among 11 others, all from the armed forces, killed in a helicopter crash in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.
About 800 service personnel were in attendance for the military funeral of their CDS.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju as well as politicians, diplomats and others paid their last respects to Madhulika Rawat and 63-year-old Bipin Rawat, who was tasked to bring in theatre command and jointness among the three services and was pushing it with a tough approach and specific timelines,
Only three of the 13 bodies have been identified so far. The last rites of the other personnels could not take place because their bodies are at the Army Base Hospital awaiting identification.
Earlier in the morning, Brigadier L S Lidder, who was also on the Russian made Mi17V5 chopper and was defence assistant to the CDS, was cremated with honours at Brar Square.
(With inputs from PTI)
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