Indian Army Chief Honored as Nepal Army General

President Dr Ram Baran Yadav on Thursday awarded the visiting Indian Army Chief Deepak Kapoor with the title of Honorary General of Nepal Army.

President Dr. Yadav conferred the title by giving away insignia, sword and peak cap to General Kapoor amid a special function organized at Presidential Palace at Shital Niwas, Kathmandu.

Defense Minister Bidhya Bhandari, Nepal Army Chief Chhatraman Singh Gurung, Indian Ambassador to Nepal Rakesh Sood and top government officials were present at the function.

This comes as a reciprocal decision as Indian President Prativa Patil recently conferred Nepal Army Chief Gurung during his visit to India last month with the title of honorary general of Indian army.

A cabinet meeting held on January 7 had decided to confer Indian Army Chief Kapoor with the title of honorary general of the Nepal Army.

The Nepal and Indian armies regard each other’s chiefs as the honorary generals of their own armies mainly due to their centuries-long close ties. The two armies have been exchanging goodwill visit since 1950 when the then chief of Indian Army, General Kodandera Madappa Cariappa visited Nepal.

Gen. Kapoor arrived in Kathmandu on Tuesday on a four-day goodwill visit to Nepal. He held meeting with Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and Defense Minister Bidhya Devi Bhandari on Thursday.

He visited the high altitude military academy of Nepal Army in Jomsom, Mustang and the pension distribution centre of the Indian Army in Khara in Rukum on Wednesday.

- Asian Tribune -