Shaheed Maj. Padmapani Acharya, Maha Vir Chakra

In April 2007 I met Mr S S Gandhi at his residence in Vasant Kunj in New Delhi. Mr S S Gandhi is the authour of book “Portraits of Valour”. This book has information on all gallantry awards of pre and post independence India with details of all individuals who have been honoured with gallantry awards post independence. During the meeting I came to know that Mr Vijay Anand had picked up material from this book for his TV serial “Param Vir Chakra” that was aired on Doordarshan in 1980s.Armed with this bible of my “Gods in Uniform” I started my search for my first God. Shaheed Major Padmapani Acharya was honoured with the Mahavir Chakra after Operation Vijay in Kargil in 1999. He was a resident of Hyderabad. Having known his fathers’s and wife’s name now I had to search for their phone nos. I looked out for these names in the BSNL directory and finally I found them. That was June 2007.We met Shaheed Major Acharya’s wife, daughter, father and mother for the first time at their residence in Hastinapuram Colony on Nagarjuna Sagar Road in Hyderabad in July 2007. How I felt meeting a martyr’s family is beyond words.I remember when I was young, I used to sometimes ask my mother at bed-time to tell me stories of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Rani Lakshmi Bai. I always believed that individuals like them were greater than Gods. Those days I never imagined that one day I would be face to face with a family of Gods.Mrs. Charulatha Acharya, wife of Shaheed Major Acharya is a house wife. She was six months pregnant when her husband passed away. On 21 June 1999 they celebrated Major Acharya’s birthday who was in Kargil that time and just seven days later on 28 June 1999 they were informed that he “fought bravely. He created history but is no more” He had made the supreme sacrifice defending the nation where he was born. It is impossible to feel the pain that she would have undergone then.Mrs Charulatha Acharya delivered a baby girl in September 1999. She was named ‘Aprajita’.In his last letter dated 19 June 1999 to his father, Major Padmapani Acharya said “…combat is an honour of a lifetime and I would not think of anything less. What better way to serve the nation”. 21 June 1999 was his birthday and on 28 June 1999 he passed away……………“Let us have faith that right makes might and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it”- Abrahim Lincoln…………This family after having served the nation the way they did, is still so much like one of our families…..simple living, no flamboyance and show-off. They are satisfied that they have done their duty. They accepted Shaheed Major Achary’s Maha Vir Chakra with grace and modesty.The soldier was the hero in battle. But his family is an equal hero.Mrs Charulatha lost her husband when she was pregnant and she has to live her life without him but she always smiles. Aprajita has never seen her father. She misses him but is proud of him. Major Achary’s parents lost their son but they have no regrets.Uncle (I mean Major Acharya’s father. I address him as ‘Uncle’) gave me a copy of the last letter that his son sent to him from the battlefield. In this last letter Maj Acharya had also talked about the Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajapyee’s visit to the Kargil. Uncle sent a copy of this letter to the Prime Minister who replied to him acknowledging Major Acharya’s sacrifice. Later during the Gallantry award investiture ceremony on the Republic Day, which Uncle attended to receive the Maha Vir Chakra, the Prime Minister came up to him and again thanked him for the letter. He also asked the President Shri K R Narayanan to come up to him to meet him. Uncle told me that he was touched by this gesture of Shri Vajpayee.Shaheed Major Padmapani Acharya’s father has joined the Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in Hyderabad after his retirement from the Indian Air Force as Wing Commander. He has seen action during the India Pakistan war of 1965 and 1971. His second son Padmasambhav Acharya was also a Major in the Indian Army in 1999 and was a part of Operation Vijay in Kargil. He is now a Lieutenant Colonel. Mrs Vimala Acharya, mother of Shaheed Major Acharya is a social worker and now takes care of the Indane (Indian Oil) gas agency that the Govt. of India has awarded to them.

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On 28 June 1999 Major Padmapani Acharya as a Company Commander, was assigned the formidable task of capturing an enemy position which was heavily fortified and strongly held and covered with mines and sweeping machine gun and artillery fire. Success of the battalion and brigade operation hinged on the early capture of this position. However the company attack almost faltered at the very beginning, when the enemy's artillery fire came down squarely on the leading platoon, inflicting large numbers of casualties. With utter disregard to his personal safety, Major Padmapani Acharya took the reserve platoon and led it through raining artillery shells. Even as his men were falling to murderous enemy fire, he continued to encourage his men and charged at the enemy up the steep rock face with his reserve platoon.Unmindful of the hail of bullets from the enemy's position, Major Padmapani Acharya crawled up to the bunker and lobbed grenades. In this daring assault, he was seriously injured. Despite heavy injuries and unable to move, he ordered his men to leave him and charge at the enemy while he continued to fire at the enemy. The enemy position was finally over-run and the objective was captured. He, however, succumbed to his injuries after completion of the mission.Major Padmapani Acharya displayed exceptional courage, leadership and spirit of self- sacrifice in the face of the enemy.Source: “Portraits of Valour” by Mr S S Gandhi

Shaheed Maj. Padmapani Acharya's Maha Vir Chakra

Last letter that Maj. Acharya wrote to his father (page 1)

Last letter that Maj. Acharya wrote to his father (page 2)





Letter that Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee wrote to Major Acharya's father



Wedding picture with wife Mrs Charulatha Acharya

Wife Mrs Charulatha Acharya, Mother Mrs Vimla Acharya and daughter Aprajita with picture of Shaheed Major Acharya





This road leads to residence of Shaheed Major Acharya




Me with them at their residence

My father-in-law with father of Maj. Acharya (in blue) when they came to our home in March 2008. He is reading a book from our personal library titled "Rajputana Rifles- Brave of the Earth" Major Acharya was from the 2nd Rajputana Rifles.Father is reading about his martyr son.

My kids with Aparajita at her home. This is June 2010.