He may have caused his own death and that of several others including his wife, by pressurizing the helicopter pilot to fly in inclement weather against the latter’s better judgement but the Indian media unhesitatingly praised his service record.
Not so, from the discerning eye of the Economist: General Bipin Rawat, writes The Economist, “was at times controversial. In 2016 Narendra Modi had selected him as army chief over the heads of two more senior generals. His subsequent appointment as overall commander was seen by some as a reward for breaking with a strong tradition of strictly insulating the army from politics by occasionally voicing views supportive of Mr Modi’s Hindu-nationalist policies. In 2017 he awarded a commendation for “personal initiative” to an officer whose unit kidnapped a passerby in the restive region of Kashmir and strapped him to the bonnet of an army jeep in order to discourage stone-throwing.” Roland. Toronto.
