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New Delhi : The Chief of the Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat, paid homage and unveiled statues of Field Marshal K M Cariappa and General K S Thimayya at Cauvery College, Gonikoppal, Kodagu District in Karnataka, on November 4, 2017, in the presence of a large number of civil and military dignitaries.
The initiative to erect the statues was taken by the Field Marshal KM Carriappa General KS Thimayya Forum with the dual aim of inspiring the youth of the region to follow the footsteps of their illustrious forefathers and keep the military heritage of the Kodava region alive, according to a PIB release.
Speaking on the occasion, General Bipin Rawat recalled the contributions of the two stalwarts and exhorted the youth of the region to follow the footsteps of their illustrious forefathers and choose Defence Forces as a career. Field Marshal K M Cariappa was the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army and was conferred the rank of Field Marshal on April 28, 1986. General K S Thimayya was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1954 and took over as Chief of the Indian Army on May 7, 1957.