General Rawat touches feet of Abdul Hamid’s widow: ‘She’s like my mother’
GHAZIPUR (UP): Army chief General Bipin Rawat on Sunday felicitated Rasoolan Bibi, 80, the widow of Param Vir Chakra awardee Havildar Abdul Hamid, during an event to mark the 52nd martyrdom anniversary of the 1965 hero at his ancestral village --- Dhamupur --- in Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh.
“Rasoolan Bibi is like my mother. During the felicitation, I felt as if I was honouring my mother. Therefore, I bowed before her and touched her feet as a mark of respect,” said the general.
The army chief revealed that Rasoolan Bibi visited his place in New Delhi three months ago and invited him to the event.
“I promised her I would come to Dhamupur. I am thankful to her for inviting me as it gave me an opportunity to see the land of bravehearts,” he said.
Rasoolan Bibi, on her part, presented a memento to the army chief. “Babu (a term used by locals to address younger people), did you drink water and did you eat anything?”, she asked Rawat. The army chief’s wife, Madhulika Rawat, also interacted with Rasoolan.
Talking to HT, Rasoolan Bibi said: “General Rawat is like my son. He touched my feet. This is a great honour for me. He will succeed on all fronts. I am quite delighted that he visited my place on my invitation.”
Addressing the audience and army veterans, the general lauded the contributions of Ghazipur district to the armed forces and exhorted the youth to join hands for the development and security of the country.