Four ex-Indian Army Chiefs arrive in Kathmandu

Kathmandu, Feb 17 (IANS) Four former chiefs of the Indian Army arrived in Kathmandu on Friday to participate in the Founding Day of the Nepali Army, to be celebrated on Saturday.

The four former Indian Army chiefs are Vishwa Nath Sharma, Joginder Jaswant Singh Deepak Kapoor and Dalbir Singh Suhag, according to Nepal Army.

The Nepali Army had sent invitations to 12 former chiefs as well as the incumbent Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pande.

Of them, former chief of the Indian Army, Manoj Mukund Naravane is arriving here on Saturday, the Nepali Army said.

The former chiefs of the Indian Army will attend the main ceremony of the Army Day to be organised at the Army Pavilion, Tundikhel on Saturday in the presence of President Bidya Devi Bhandari.

They will also participate in the programme to be organised at the Bir Smarak (Memorial to the Brave Soldier) at Chhauni in the morning on Saturday, Army Spokesman Krishna Prasad Bhandari said.

They will also hold discussions with the Nepali Chief of the Army Staff Prabhu Ram Sharma and their counterparts at the Army Headquarters on February 19. There will be a separate conclave of the former and Nepali Army chiefs.

It has been over five decades since two armies have been giving honorary generals ranks of each army once a new army chief comes for taking the new charge.

Likewise, they will attend a cultural programme to be held at the Army Headquarters in the evening on the same day on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri and Army Day. Nepal and India have the unique tradition of conferring the insignia of the Honorary General on the Army Chief of one another. The Nepali Army is celebrating its 260th Founding Day.