‘Brig Lidder Won Everyone’s Heart’: A Friend’s Tribute

'The world came crashing down on me. We had known Brig Lidder and his family for over 37 years.'

On 8 December 2021, after I had finished my lunch at 1.25 pm, I opened my mobile phone to check my WhatsApp messages. As I was reading the messages, I saw a screenshot of a TV news channel sent on one of the groups at 1.30 pm, saying that the helicopter carrying India's first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen Bipin Rawat, had crashed in Coonoor.

I felt numb and restless as I knew that my childhood friend, Brig Lakhbinder Singh Lidder, whose nickname was Tony, and with whom I had studied at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Mhow, was the Military Assistant (MA) to the CDS. We stayed in opposite blocks at Golf View, Mhow.

I prayed that Lakhbinder might not be in that ill-fated helicopter. I ran towards my television, switched to news channels and started flipping through them for any news of Lakhbinder.

But till evening, there wasn't any confirmed news until it was declared that 13 persons on board the IAF helicopter, including the CDS, his wife, Madhulika, and Brig LS Lidder, had lost their lives.

Some Bonds Are Forever

The world came crashing on me and my family as we had known Brig Lidder and his family for over 37 years.

Some bonds are forever, and even though we are not related by blood, we are linked by associations and memories. And it pains as much when someone so close to you goes away forever.

The batchmates of the 77 NDA Course and the 87 Regular Course, too, felt the same pain and grief knowing that Lakhbinder, their batchmate at the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, respectively, is no more.

The first wreath on Brig LS Lidder, SM, VSM, as he lay in state in the Brar Square Crematorium, Delhi Cantonment, before his final rites, was laid by Rear Admiral Kunal Singh Rajkumar, the topper of the 77 NDA Course, and Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (Retd), a Member of Parliament and an ex-Union Minister, and who is also from the 77 NDA Course. They both jointly laid the wreath on behalf of the 77 NDA Course.

The second wreath was laid by Major General Ranjit Singh Manral, who is the President’s Gold Medal (PGM) awardee of the 87 Regular Course. This wreath was laid on behalf of the 87 Regular Course.

Brig VS Sekhon laid the third wreath, which was on behalf of all ‘Injuns’, as the Cadets of India Squadron in the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, are called. Brig LS Lidder and Brig VS Sekhon both belonged to India Squadron, apart from being coursemates and regimental officers, too.

Air Commodore Sartaj Bedi, another coursemate of Lakhbinder, laid the next wreath, thus completing the realm of the Tri-Services that the National Defence Academy epitomises.

A Doting Son & Husband

On 25 May this year, when news came that Lakhbinder had been approved to the rank of Major General, there was a celebratory party at his house in Delhi Cantonment that evening. During the party, as Lakhbinder interacted with the guests, he suddenly excused himself from the group of well-wishers and went straight to his mother, who was seated on a sofa in the living room. He cupped her face in his hands, kissed her on her forehead and went back to mingling with the guests. Lakhbinder was a doting son.

On 25 November this year, which marked the Silver Jubilee Wedding Anniversary of Lakhbinder and the gracious and gentle Geetika, Tony took the mike during the celebrations as a song was in progress, and said, “In the last 25 years, Geetika has loved me more than I have loved her. Today onwards I will love her more.” Tony was a loveable husband.

On 7 December 2021, a day before the ill-fated helicopter crash, Lakhbinder was speaking to an IAF officer at the Sulur Airbase, from where the entourage of the CDS was to catch a helicopter to Wellington the next day, tying up the final details for the move.

Lakhbinder asked the IAF officer if he could get him anything from New Delhi. The officer replied, “No, thank you, sir.” Lakhbinder said, “I shall get you tonnes of good wishes from New Delhi”, and ended the call. Lakhbinder had never met that IAF Officer in life.

He had the unusual quality of winning the heart of everyone he came across, even it was for a second. Such was Lakhbinder’s charisma.

To take a line from Jackie Shroff’s famous movie Yaadein, “Yaadein bus yaadein reh jaati hain” (Memories remain but memories).

Lakhbinder’s classmates at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Mhow, held special prayers in the honour and memory of him on the school premises on 9 December 2021.

Loved By All Who Knew Him

In his entire life, Lakhbinder never spoke ill about anyone and no one ever spoke ill about him. Such treasures are very rare to find. He was loved by all those who knew him. Lakhbinder shall always remain around those who loved him, albeit in a different form.

Over 400 batchmates and classmates of Lakhbinder attended his final rites on 10 December 2021 and his Bhog and Antim Ardas, the final Sikh rituals, at a Gurudwara in Delhi Cantonment.

To quote Colonel Atul Pratap Singh, a veteran of the Indian Army, "coursemates or classmates ki yaari, zindagi bhar ki jimmewaari” (the friendship of coursemates and classmates is a responsibility for life).

I would like to add one more line to Col Singh's quote: "Coursemates or classmates ki yaari, zindagi bhar ki jimmewaari, or zindagi ke baad bhi” (the friendship of coursemates and classmates is a responsibility for life and beyond).

The mortal remains of Lakhbinder, who was born in Delhi Cantonment on 26 June 1969, were consigned to flames in the same place on 10 December 2021. The journey of Lakhbinder on Earth ended where it had begun 52 years back. Such are the twists and turns of fate.

Rest in eternal peace, Brig LS Lidder, SM, VSM. Every citizen of India is proud of you.

(The writer, who retired from the Corps of Engineers, is an alumnus of NDA, Khadakwasla and IIT Kanpur. He is an M.Tech in Structures and has also done an MBA and LLB. The views expressed are personal.)