(Left to Right) Tarini Rawat, Madhuri Kanitkar, and Mrs Madhulika Rawat.
(Photo courtesy: Lt Gen Madhuri Kanitkar)
When Lieutenant General (retd) Madhuri Kanitkar met Mrs Madhulika Rawat on 31 October 2021 – the day she retired after 39 years of service – little did she know that it would also be the last time they ever met. Lt Gen Kanitkar served as the first Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Medical) under Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat.
In a tragic accident, General Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, an Army Brigadier, and 10 others lost their lives after an Indian Air Force (IAF) Mi-17V5 helicopter carrying them crashed into a heavily wooded area in Tamil Nadu's Nilgiris district.
Lt Gen (retd) Madhuri Kanitkar is only the third woman in the Indian Armed Forces to be promoted to a three-star rank. She was the senior-most woman officer at the time of her retirement.
The moment Kanitkar, now the Vice Chancellor of Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, Nashik, heard the news, she instinctively called Mrs Madhulika's phone to check on their well-being. However, her repeated calls didn't go through.
Remembering late General Rawat, Kanitkar said that he was a hardworking boss, who made every team member feel valued.
"He would work long hours. I don't remember a time when a file would take more than a couple of days. Mostly, the same evening he would send a long handwritten note with clear directions, or it was 'come and discuss'," she said.
The Lt Gen, however, shared a very personal bond with Mrs Madhulika.
"She was a very, very close friend. She really supported a lot of welfare activities, being a paediatrician – whether it was setting up a creche for example. Any time we needed her in her capacity, all it needed was a WhatsApp and she would respond in 10 minutes. This was at a very personal level."
While she is yet to come to terms with the tragic loss, she hopes all families get their time to grieve.
"I do not know how to reach out to the families as I said I knew everyone. It has been absolutely unfortunate. I pray for their families, and I hope that they draw strength someday. I would pray for everyone's well being," she told The Quint.
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