BIPIN : The Man Behind the Uniform

A must read for those drawn to stories of resilience and leadership.
Striding into the aisles of Jayakar Library and glancing at the bookshelves, a red book caught my eye. It was none other than BIPIN by Rachna Bisht Rawat. General Bipin Rawat, on the cover page in his olive-green uniform, decked with accolades bearing witness to his devotion to the nation. Being a defense aspirant, I stood enamoured for a few seconds, holding onto the lanyard of my library card. I raced to the counter to issue the book and finished it on the day itself.
The book narrates the tale of a Pahadi boy reaching the pinnacle of success by holding the appointment of the first Chief of Defense Staff. Through the collection of various interviews, the story unfolds as to how his family, friends, comrades, subordinates, and close associates knew the General transcending the persona he had in his uniform in distinct stages of his life.
Not only did the general manage to have an indelible impression on those who were around him but also left his imprint on the nation. Charismatic to the degree, that on his unfortunate demise in a helicopter crash, the whole country came in solidarity to mourn the great loss. The author throws insights into his integrity, courage, determination, commitment, modesty, and above all his ability to connect and forge deep bonds with his men and comrades alike. The General never misused any of the facilities he was entitled to use throughout his tenure, he always sought the welfare of his men rolling out policies that would benefit those at the lowest level of the hierarchy of command. His story inspires a generation of students akin to me who harbor the dream of serving in the armed forces. Life in the army is challenging indeed, it requires proving mettle in every situation, however, what struck a chord for me was despite being brilliant, the recipient of the sword of honor from IMA, General Rawat has had his fair share of failures. I, for one, draw strength from it, the motive to keep moving forward in the face of failure is what is true valour.
The author has done a commendable job in bringing him to life. The format is similar to epistolary novels, causing it to become repetitive at the beginning of each chapter. Every chapter starts with the poignant incident of the interviewee receiving the devastating news of the helicopter crash and their reactions to it. However, the writing has a personal touch to it and left me emotional in various instances. Despite knowing how the book will end, reading the last few chapters, left me utterly heartbroken. It casts light on the grim reality of how unpredictable life is in the armed forces and how difficult it is to cope with the loss of a loved one. Since the book is the biography of an eminent general, it discusses and mentions policies related to the armed forces, the internal security situation, and the General’s visionary integrated theatre command standing on the verge of being reified.
I’d recommend this book to those who are striving hard for self-improvement, along with those who are intrigued by the military way of life, and an essential reading for those who aspire to be a part of it. BIPIN: The Man Behind The Uniform, is curated for those drawn to stories of resilience and leadership.