Officer remembers Rawat’s help to Kerala during floods in 2018

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala will not forget the help rendered by General Bipin Rawat, the Chief of Defence Staff, who died in a copter crash yesterday, during the floods in 2018. The army was in the forefront during the rescue operations when floods sowed disaster. It was Rawat who gave directions for all help. He also instructed the officers in Kerala to inform him if they need any help from the army. Dr M Shekar, secretary, disaster management authority, shared his experience in a Facebook post.

India’s General, a philanthropist, that one phone call ... When the floods of 2018 were at its peak, the chief minister asked the Army at a meeting whether they could deploy a special unit in Kerala. Our Brigadier Arun Sir said that we would try. After the meeting, returned to Kurian Sir's room. Soon I received a call from an unknown number. I picked up the phone. If I had not attended that call, I wouldn’t have remembered this today.

The call said ‘Chief of Army Staff of India wants to talk to you’, connecting the call. Spoke to our Air Marshal Suresh sir, vice admiral and major generals during those times. But Indian army chief calling directly! In a tone of fear and respect, started after wishing him ‘Good evening sir.’ In return he introduced himself by his name. He enquired about the situations in Kerala. Asked about the main places affected, details of the troops entrusted, deaths and injured.

He told me to inform if any additional assistance of the army is needed. Arun Sir knows everything and in the meeting held a while ago the chief minister sought for help. I later told him to contact Kurian Sir and the chief secretary to know more.

After talking for about 10 minutes, asked to give the personal number of Kurien Sir and the chief secretary to his personal assistant and kept the phone, saying 'Jai Hind', uniting the people of Kerala in our difficult times.

There are many ways for the Chief of Army Staff of India to know all this, still calling the officials in Kerala directly shows that he is a responsible philanthropist. It is the Army's reserve for Kerala. We, the Malayalees, should be with his family. His leadership and role is there in all the services that our Army provided us in 2018 and 2019. India’s General, a philanthropist, that one call ...