Gen Bipin Rawat was resolute during tough situation with China: NSA Ajit Doval

"I remember we were having a tough situation with the Chinese, at that time. We used to have meetings. He was very determined and said that we are not going to step back. We'll make the Chinese retreat. It did happen after 75 days of tough time," the NSA said unveiling journalist Manjeet Negi's book 'Mahayoddha ki Mahagatha' on Gen Rawat.

"I knew that for us it was a decision making, for him, it was the execution of the decision. For an Army Chief it must have been a very difficult task to achieve," said Doval praising India's first CDS on his first death anniversary.

In 2017, the Indian and Chinese troops were engaged in a tense 73-day-long military border faceoff over the Chinese construction of a road in Doklam, near a trijunction border area. The two sides later agreed on the disengagement of troops on August 28, 2017.

The NSA said that decision-making came very naturally to Gen Rawat.

"Once your objectives are clear then decision-making is never a problem, Gen Rawat was very determined and always willing to achieve the results," he added.

Recalling his association with the late General, the NSA said that Gen Rawat was a great patriot, visionary and great leader of the Indian Army.

"Everybody lost something in the departure of Gen Bipin Rawat. It was a shock and we still feel the reverberations, the NSA said adding that Gen Rawat's demise was a personal loss to him.

The book launch function was held on the occasion of the first death anniversary of former CDS Gen Rawat and others who laid down their lives in a fatal chopper crash on Dec 8, 2021.