Gonikoppal: Over 15,000 people, most of them in their traditional Kodava attire, were a witness to the unveiling of bronze statues of Field Marshal Kodandera M. Cariappa and General Kodandera S. Thimayya by Chief of the Army Staff General Bipin Rawat at Cauvery College in Gonikoppal, South Kodagu, this morning. After unveiling the statues, Gen. Rawat said that it was time to recommend the name of Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa for Bharat Ratna honour.
“It is time to recommend Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa for the Bharat Ratna. If others can get it (Bharat Ratna), I see no reason why Field Marshal Cariappa shouldn’t be a deserving personality for the same,” he said in his 7-minute address, amidst thunderous applause from the audience.
Col. Kandrathanda C. Subbaiah, President of Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa and Gen. Thimayya Forum, seen with Gen. Bipin Rawat at the venue of unveiling of the statues in Gonikoppal.
Gen. Rawat’s statement follows years of demands and requests by members of the ex-servicemen community to have independent India’s First Army Chief honoured with the country’s highest civilian award posthumously. No military person has so far been awarded the Bharat Ratna.
Describing the unveiling of the statue as a momentous and a historic occasion, the Chief of Army Staff said that no Army can survive without honouring its veterans. “No Army can be strong if it does not respect its veterans. We must respect them as they have spent a better part of their lives serving the nation, fighting external and internal threats,” he said.
Recalling the contributions of Field Marshal Cariappa and General Thimayya and a host of other defence personalities hailing from Kodagu, Gen. Rawat said that the Army was working round-the-clock to get employment and the best medical facilities to those who have completed their service.
Nearly 15,000 people gathered at the sprawling grounds of Cauvery College in Gonikoppal, Kodagu, this morning to witness the unveiling of the statues of the two icons of Kodagu, Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa and Gen. K.S. Thimayya by the Army Chief General Bipin Rawat.
Making a mention of Directorate of Indian Army Veterans (DIAV), Gen. Rawat said that Army veterans can contact DIAV for all their official issues, be it pension, retirement benefits, jobs and family welfare.
For the record, the site for the statues — located close to the ‘Ain Mane’ (ancestral house) of the Kodandera family belonging to Generals — has been provided by the Cauvery Educational Society. The statues (7’6” in height) were sculpted by Shilpi Vijay at a cost of Rs. 17 lakh. This is the only location in India where statues of Army Chiefs stand next to one another.
Earlier, the Army Chief arrived in a helicopter at the Tata Coffee Golf Grounds in Pollibetta and came to Gonikoppal by road. As his chopper landed at the golf course, he was received by Kodagu Deputy Commissioner Dr. Richard Vincent D’Souza and Superintendent of Police Rajendra Prasad.
Chief of the Army Staff General Bipin Rawat seen with achievers who were felicitated by The Field Marshal Cariappa and General Thimayya Forum with gold medals for life-time achievement.
President of Field Marshal Cariappa and General Thimayya Forum Colonel (Rtd.) Kandrathanda C. Subbaiah, Vice-President Machimada M. Ravindra, Convener Major Biddanda M. Nanjappa, Secretary Ulliyada M. Poovaiah, Area Commander Lieutenant General Anand, Sub-Area Commander Major General K.S. Nijjar, Commandant of Madras Engineering Group, Bengaluru, Brigadier Sachdev and others were present.
The bronze statues of Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa and General K.S. Thimayya that were unveiled by General Bipin Rawat.
As the Chief of Army Staff enjoys Z-Plus Security, the entire area of the event was cordoned off with traffic diverted at strategic places from 9 am to 12 noon. A photo exhibition on the life and achievements of Field Marshal Cariappa and General Thimayya was also organised.
Waiting for Siddaramaiah ‘s response that Bharat Ratna should be given to Gauri Lankesh or still better to Tipu Sultan