CDS Bipin Rawat told Gorakhpur students to rediscover culture but forgot military tradition. By LT GEN H S PANAG (Retd)
On 4 December, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat was in Gorakhpur as the chief guest for the inaugural programme of the week-long 88th Foundation Day celebrations of Maharana Pratap Siksha Parishad at Maharana Pratap Inter College. The event was presided over by the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, who is also the chief priest or mahant of the Gorakhnath Math that manages the Gorakhnath temple and the parishad.
General Rawat gave an inspiring speech to the students wherein he urged them to rediscover Indian culture diluted by centuries of foreign rule. He also unveiled life-size statues of ‘Hindu Surya’ Maharana Pratap, and the previous two mahants of the math — Brahammleen Mahant Digvijay Nath and Brahammleen Mahant Avaidyanath. Earlier, on 3 December after landing at the Gorakhpur airfield in his official aircraft, General Rawat had paid obeisance at the Gorakhnath Temple in company of its mahant, Yogi Adityanath....