IT Correspondent
New Delhi, Dec 10:
The Senior Military Commanders from friendly foreign countries reached New Delhi to attend the final farewell of Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, at the Brar Square Crematorium on Friday.
The commanders includes: Srilanka- Gen Shavendra Silva, Chief of Def Staff and Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, Admiral Ravindra Chandrasiri Wijegunaratne (Retd), Former Chief of Defence Staff (Rawat’s course mate at National Defence College and a dear friend). Bhutan-Brig Dorji Rinchen, Deputy Chief Operations Officer, Royal Bhutan Army, Nepal-Suprobal Janasewashree Lt Gen Bal Krishna Karki, Chief of General Staff (equivalent to Vice Chief of Army Staff), Nepali Army, Bangladesh-Lt Gen Waker-UZ-Zaman, Principal Staff Officer, Armed Forces Division, Bangladesh.
In the meanwhile the last journey of Gen Rawat began on Friday afternoon. Six officers (02 each from Army, Navy and Air Force) of the rank of Lieutenant General equivalent were the Pall (National Flag) bearers.
Wreaths were laid by the dignitaries including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and National Security Adviser Ajit Dowal at the official residence of Rawat. The wreaths will also be laid at Brar Square Cremation Ground.
Ceremonial Battery of 2233 field regiment provided the “gun carriage”. 99 all ranks from the Army, Navy and Air force and 33 members of the tri-services band formed the front escort, while 99 all ranks from the three services were the rear escort. A total of 800 service personnel were in attendance for the military funeral of the CDS.
The CDS is being accorded a “17 gun salute”, as per laid down protocols. Post the playing of the Last Post and Rouse by tri-services buglers, the funeral pyre will be lit by family members, a Defence spokesman Wing Cdr Ratnakar Singh said.
In the morning, leaders from the government, the Opposition, bureaucracy and security establishment visited Rawat’s residence on Kamraj Marg. His and his wife’s mortal remains will be kept at the residence till 2 pm. Following that, it will be taken to Brar Square Crematorium, where he will be cremated with full state honours.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi were among those who visited the residence by around 11.30 am. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, former CM Harish Rawat, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Union Ministers Anurag Thakur and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat were also present.
DMK’s Kanimozhi K, Akali Dal’s Harsimrat Kaur Badal, BJP’s Ravi Shankar Prasad, Jay Panda, Congress senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge and his party colleague K Suresh also came in later to pay their tributes.
Among the top bureaucrats were Principal Secretary to PM PK Mishra and Cabinet Secretary Rajeev Gauba, who were seen together. From the security establishment, apart from several senior military personnel, heads of CRPF and ITBP went to the CDS’s house to pay their tributes.
Civil society leader and Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi was also seen paying his respect.
Delegates spent around 10 to 15 minutes each inside the premises. Amid a tight security cordon outside the house, with only select people being allowed to go in, there was a small crowd from his home state of Uttarakhand shouting slogans for him. “General Rawat Amar Rahe, Madhulika Rawat Amar Rahe,” the supporters, who were not allowed to go in, said.
There was also a section who started chanting slogans like “VIP culture must be ended” as they got impatient waiting outside.
