Lt Gen Bipin Rawat and Anil Dhasmana , appointed as the next Army chief and the next RAW boss respectively

DEHRADUN: Lt Gen Bipin Rawat and Anil Dhasmana , appointed as the next Army chief and the next RAW boss respectively, have joined the long list of men from Uttarakhand occupying the topmost positions in the security establishments of the country. Both Rawat and Dhasmana hail from Pauri Garhwal district of the state.

National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval is a native of Ghiri Banelsyun village in Pauri Garhwal, while Coast Guard chief Rajendra Singh hails from Chakrata near Dehradun. Recently-appointed director general of military operations (DGMO) Anil Bhatt too has his roots in Tehri Garhwal.

The presence of so many people from the state — regarded as ‘dev bhoomi’ (land of gods) as well as ‘veer bhoomi'(land of the brave) — in decision-making positions regarding the country’s safety is both a matter of pride as well as a reflection of the trust reposed in them, says Major General BC Khanduri (Retired), former CM, Army veteran and senior BJP member. “It is a fortuitous thing that people from the state are simultaneously occupying the top echelons of the country’s security establishments. They are all highly competent officers and I hope that they do good work which makes the country and the state proud of them.”

The trend of men from the hills getting positions of responsibility regarding the country’s security started with the Modi government appointing retired IPS officer Ajit Doval, formerly the director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), as the National Security Adviser in 2014. In the past one year, more appointments have followed starting with Rajendra Singh being named the Coast Guard chief in February. Singh, hailing from Chakrata, attended school in Mussoorie and graduated from the HNB Garhwal University, Srinagar, Pauri Garhwal.

In November, Lt General Anil Bhatt took over as the DGMO to oversee all crucial operations being conducted by the Army, a post deemed to be of great responsibility especially in the aftermath of the surgical strikes conducted in September. Bhatt, an alumnus of St George’s College, Mussoorie, is a native of Khatwar in Tehri Garhwal.

The simultaneous announcement of the appointment of two more Uttarakhandis —Lt Gen Rawat and Dhasmana — to head the Army and RAW respectively on Saturday has been the icing on the cake, say observers.

Brig RS Rawat (Retired), who as an instructor at the Dehradun-based Indian Military Academy(IMA) in the late 1970s taught the newly-named Army chief, says that it is no coincidence that people from the hills of Uttarakhand are being entrusted with such responsibilities.

“Uttarakhand has had a glorious tradition of contributing many men to the country’s security forces. People here have a genuine desire to join the Army and other agencies where they can serve the country. Their temperament and physical toughness also make them valuable assets. For instance, Bipin Rawat, whom I remember as a disciplined and extremely hardworking student, displayed all these qualities which I think will make him a great Army chief,” he said.

Bureau Report