Tribute to a silent soldier

Kiran Hira

Behind every successful man, there is a woman. General Bipin Rawat was known as one of the most committed soldiers, a man on a mission right since the day he joined the service. His working routine was 24x7. There was a beautiful person who made it all possible for him. That was his wife, Madhulika Rawat; we called her Madhu. As sweet a person as her name signified, she stood like a rock behind her husband, quiet and uncomplaining, all through his career.

Madhu and I started our Army innings together. Both of us got married when our husbands were posted together as Captains in the Indian Military Academy at Dehradun. Both of us came from non-Army backgrounds and were therefore new to the Army way of life. Our husbands were infantry officers and both were workaholic. They had little time to spare for anything other than their profession. They became the closest of friends, so too Madhu and me. It was the beginning of a beautiful journey, which was to last 45 years. Bipin preferred to serve in active field areas. He commanded his company, battalion, brigade, division as well as corps, leaving Madhu in separate stations for long years. Me and Madhu were neighbours, again and again.

The couple was blessed with two sweet daughters. True to his profession, Bipin perhaps had little idea when the girls started and finished their studies. He left it all to Madhu. An Army job is indeed very demanding for the men. Perhaps no officer who is serving in an active border area or is involved in counter-insurgency operations can concentrate on his job if the lady of the house does not leave him totally free and unencumbered.

When Bipin was posted as Major General, head of the operations branch in Kolkata, he would often come for official meetings to Delhi. At that time, Madhu was staying in their Noida house, looking after the family, including Bipin’s ailing father. To save on travelling time to Noida, Bipin would spend the night in any guestroom close to the Army headquarters and attend to his work at night. If I ever asked Madhu, could Bipin meet her and the kids, Madhu would always reply with her most innocent smiling face, “Bipin had a lot of work to finish, therefore he could not come home.” She was convinced that the Army needed Bipin more than her.

A wonderful part of Madhu was that she never changed. Down to earth, she never learnt to push her position around. Without prejudice, if I may say, had it not been for her total commitment, Bipin may have had to look back from his office job sometimes.

In the end, true to her lifelong commitment, she went down with her husband on his last journey. Patriotism is not just about bravery in the battlefield, it is also the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime. May God bless her soul. We will miss her forever.