TN: All shops in Nilgiris district to remain shut on Dec 10 in honour of CDS Bipin Rawat

Mourning the tragic death of Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, the shopkeepers in the Nilgiris district in Tamil Nadu have announced that all shops in the region will remain closed on Friday, December 10. The Federation of Merchants’ Associations of Nilgiris district announced that every single shop in the district will remain closed from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

CDS General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, and 11 other defence personnel lost their lives in Coonoor on Wednesday, in a tragic IAF chopper crash.

The merchant’s union made the decision to shut all shops on Friday as a mark of respect to the deceased in the IAF helicopter crash. Confirming the decision, MA Raheem, Secretary of Federation of Merchants' Associations on Thursday said that the shops in the district will remain shut to honour the services done by the defence personnel for the country. Ever since the tragic accident, many have come forward to pay their tribute to CDS Bipin Rawat and the other defence personnel.

Machhal villagers pay tribute to CDS Bipin Rawat

About 150 residents of Jammu and Kashmir's Machhal village held a candlelight march on Thursday, December 9, in fond memory of India's first Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat. The gathering observed two minutes of silence for the departed souls and prayed for their eternal peace. General Bipin Rawat and Brigadier LS Lidder had visited the Macchal Sector on July 27 this year.

Tamil Nadu IAF helicopter crash

In a tragic event, a Mi5-V17 chopper carrying General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, and 12 more flying from the Sulur Air Force Base to Wellington, crashed in the Upper Coonoor region of Tamil Nadu. While 11 were declared dead at the site of the crash, Group Captain Varun Singh is the only survivor, who is currently being treated for severe burns at Command Hospital in Bengaluru.

The crash resulted in the death of General Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, his Defence Adviser Brig Lakhbinder Singh Lidder, Staff Officer Lt Colonel Harjinder Singh, Wing Commander PS Chauhan, Squadron Leader K Singh, JWO Das, Junior Warrant Officer Pradeep A, Havildar Satpal, Naik Gursewak Singh, Naik Jitender Kumar, Lance Naik Vivek Kumar and Lance Naik Sai Teja.

The IAF aircraft with the mortal remains of 13 bodies who died in a chopper crash near Tamil Nadu's Coonoor, reached the Palam Airbase in Delhi on the evening of December 9. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reached the Palam Airbase and paid tribute to the departed.

Image: PTI