New Delhi: As condolences poured in from across the world following the death of Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat in a helicopter crash, a Twitter exchange between a former Indian Army officer and a retired Pakistani army Major has gone viral.
Despite the political tensions between the two countries, the exchange between Brigadier R S Pathania and Pakistani army Major Adil Raja (retired) grabbed the attention of netizens.
After news came that Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika and 11 others died in the Mi-17V5 helicopter crash, Brigadier RS Pathania took to Twitter to express his condolences.
Major Adil Raja replied to the thread, saying, "Sir please accept my heartfelt condolences." Brigadier Pathania replied to him, "Thank you Adil. That’s what is expected from a soldier. Salute you."
In a heartwarming tweet, Major Raja, who is spokesperson for the Pakistan Ex Servicemen Society (PESS), said "it's the decent thing to do as a soldier".
"In our Punjabi folklore they say, 'dushman maray te khushian na manawoo, kadday sajna v mar jaana'. Means: Don’t celebrate the deaths of your enemies as some day friends would also die," Major Raja tweeted.
Replying to this, Pathania wrote, "We are enemies on the battlefield. Off that, let’s be civil to each other if we cannot be friends."
The conversation ends with Major Raja saying "peace is the only logical way forward".
Pakistan's top military brass expressed condolences over the death of General Bipin Rawat. Pakistan Army spokesman, in a short statement, said Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Nadeem Raza and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa expressed condolences.
"General Nadeem Raza, CJCSC & General Qamar Javed Bajwa, COAS express condolences on tragic death of CDS General Bipin Rawat, his wife and loss of precious lives in a helicopter crash in India," Pakistan Armed Forces Spokesperson Major General Babar Iftikhar tweeted.
General Rawat and General Bajwa had served together in a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission in Congo in 2008.