He led from the front, was the first to be hit

Major Padmapani Acharya, a Mahavir Chakra awardee, couldn't live long enough to see his daughter. He died just days after his 30th birthday at Kargil

He led from the front, was the first to be hit

Major Padmapani Acharya, a Mahavir Chakra awardee, couldn't live long enough to see his daughter. He died just days after his 30th birthday at Kargil

He believed in the teachings of Bhagwad Gita and was inspired by Arjun. And just like his brave mythological mentor, Major Padmapani Acharya, a Mahavir Chakra (MVC) awardee, too fought with valor until his last breath at Tololing Hills.

We had no idea he had moved to a war zone. His wife Charulatha was pregnant and three months after his death, she was blessed with a daughter," said Wing Commander (retd) J Acharya in a heavy voice.

Major Acharya was commissioned into 2nd Rajputana Rifles (RAJRIF) in 1993 and within a short time he became one of the best leaders in his unit. His abilities to motivate his men earned him the title 'Sutradhaar' and he lived up to the honor even in his last moments.

"Major Padmapani Acharya was a brave soldier for whom duty came first. For him, bravery was not limited to fighting alone but extended to the way a man carried out his responsibilities with determination," said a senior Army officer, who had served with the braveheart.

In happier times: Major Padmapani Acharya with his parents

Even before the magnitude of intrusion at Kargil could be perceived, Major Acharya's unit was asked to move to Kupwara for Counter Insurgency (CI) operations. The company had to clear the Three Pimple hills and Lone hills.
Major Acharya was assigned the formidable task of capturing an enemy bunker, which was heavily fortified with landmines and machine-guns.

As soon as the operation began, Acharya's men came under heavy artillery fire.

"There was heavy casualty on our side but the soldiers were determined to push forward. They climbed the steep hill at night and cleared the ridgeline," said Major Acharya's father.

A couple of days later, the unit was assigned to attack Pakistani positions at Tololing Hills. Along with Major Acharya, Captain Vijyant Thapar too was asked to lead another company.

To motivate his men, Major Acharya always walked ahead of them and was the first to be hit by a bullet only metres away from the enemy bunkers. Even though he was fatally wounded he rushed towards the bunkers and started lobbing grenades. "His action gave the much-needed strength to his men who attacked the enemy with all their might," said his father. The bunker was finally over-run and the mission was accomplished.

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