Brig LS Lidder was a devoted family man who wore many hats with grace and could gel with generals and havildars with equal ease, Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi said on Saturday.
In his address at the launch of a memoir, titled “I Am a Soldier’s Wife: The Life and Love of Toni Lidder,” written by his wife Geetika Lidder, the Army chief praised the late officer, and said, beyond his professional achievement, “it was his humanity that truly set him apart.” The brigadier, along with country’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Bipin Rawat, his wife, and several others were killed in a military helicopter crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on December 8, 2021.
Geetika Lidder, who also marked her birthday on Saturday, in her address, recalled what she had told publicly to media then — “I am a soldier’s wife and I will give him a smiling send-off.” Gen Dwivedi in his address lauded her for the courage and fortitude she displayed right after the incident in 2021.
“Who can forget the poise with which she conducted herself in the aftermath if the tragedy, and as a true AWWA (Army Wives Welfare Association) member, she reached out to provide solace to other ladies in their moment of extreme grief,” he said.
The Army chief described Brig Lidder as “a devoted family man” and a person who “wore many hats with grace.” “He could gel with generals, colonels, majors, captain, subedar, majors and havildars with equal ease,” Gen Dwivedi said.
The general recalled that he could discuss anything with him on earth, whether it was tactical or strategic.
“So that was the range of his thought process, and that helped me in framing my thought processes at later stage,” Gen Dwivedi said.
He added, “We also celebrate the love and devotion that Geetika has poured into the memoir.” It paints a vivid portrait of “a man who was as compassionate as courageous,” he said.
A second-generation army officer, Brig Lidder or “Toni Lidder”, as he was fondly called by his friends and colleagues, was serving on the staff of CDS Gen Rawat when the crash took place.
Born in 1969, Brig Lidder was defence assistant to the CDS since January 2021.
The CDS “hand-picked him to be the DA, or what air force may fondly call, a CDS wing man,” the Army chief said.
He was commissioned in the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles (JAKRIF) in December 1990 and commanded a battalion of the JAKRIF in Congo as UN peacekeeping force. He also commanded a brigade on India’s northern borders.
His daughter, Aashna Lidder, 20, was barely 16 and preparing for her board exams when she learned of the chopper crash that killed several, including her father.
“My father had also served as a defence attache in Kazakhstan and had a tremendous interest in military history,” she told PTI.
Gen Dwivedi in his address recalled the brigadier as a “dear friend” and “a regimental colleague.” His sudden departure along with the visionary first Chief of Defence Staff Gen Rawat, in the tragedy leaves an “indelible void in the hearts of all who knew him and values he stood for.” Though it’s been over three years now, his vibrant face and fond memories linger, the Army chief said.
“On this solemn occasion, I can’t but help remember the exemplary lives of Gen Bipin Rawat, Mrs Rawat, and also of Lt Col Harjinder, the air force pilot and commandos who were part of this tragic accident,” he said.
The book, published by Roli, was released at the Manekshaw Centre in the evening.
Former army chiefs Gen (retd) Deepak Kapoor and Gen (retd) M M Naravane, several senior officers of the army, Gen Dwivedi’s wife and AWWA president Sunita Dwivedi and wives of many other army officers attended it.
The Army chief in his address said, the book “encapsulates not just the life of a soldier, but the essence of a devoted husband, a cherished father, and an aspiring leader of the Indian army in general, and Jammu & Kashmir Rifles, of course, the regiment, in particular.” Brig Lidder was a man whose life was a “testament to courage, integrity, achievements and unwavering commitment” to the profession of Army, the general said, recalling his association with him as he had ascended the ladder in his military career.
“He was bright spark who always stood out. He was not just an excellent soldier, as he was awarded a Sena Medal very early in his career. He was a consummate professional, whose immense knowledge and keen insights were admired by his superiors, peers and subordinates alike,” Gen Dwivedi said.
“I have seen him as a colonel, a major, a brigadier, and of course as a prospective general,” he added.
