'His Karma Was To Sacrifice His Life For The Nation'

Major Padmapani Acharya was awarded the Mahavir Chakra for his courage in the Kargil War.

IMAGE: Major Padmapani Acharya and his team during the assault in Drass. Photographs: Kind courtesy Mrs Charulata Acharya.

A week after his 31st birthday, Major Padmapani Acharya made the supreme sacrifice in one of the bloodiest battles of the Kargil War.

On June 28, 1999, he was given the formidable task of capturing the Three Pimple Complex in the Drass sector.

The complex was heavily fortified, strongly held and covered with mines by Pakistan. Leading a company of the 2 Rajputana Rifles, the officer led his men with exemplary courage and ensured that the task was accomplished.

Despite grievous injury, he crawled up the enemy bunker and continued directing his men to charge while he continued to provide fire support.

For his act of conspicuous bravery, he was awarded the Mahavir Chakra which was received by his father, a former air force officer.

Major Acharya had served in the army for five years and had been married for barely three years. His wife, Charulata Acharya delivered their child Aparajita three months after his demise.

His family spoke a lot about him so that his daughter knew her father. Aparajita visited Drass for the first time in 2019.

Mrs Acharya could only muster the courage to do so in 2023 when she turned 50.

"My daughter told me 'Mama, you should go. Don't run away from the fear'," she tells Rediff's Archana Masih in a two-part interview that reveals the courage of a soldier's wife.

Have you visited Drass and seen the mountains where your husband died fighting in the Kargil War?

Yes. We were called by the army many times, but we didn't have the courage to go there for many years. My daughter Aparajita went in 2019, 20 years after the war.

I mustered the courage to go for the first time in 2023 which was my 50th birthday. My daughter told me 'Mama, you should go. Don't run away from the fear.'

Last year our extended family went to pay tribute. The army arranged a small wreath laying ceremony.

His unit invites Aparajita, me and our family on every important occasion.

IMAGE: Charulata Acharya at the Kargil Memorial in Drass in 2023.

His course-mates and soldiers who served with him must have remained in touch with you.

Yes, and we will be meeting once again on August 21 in Kerala. It gives the opportunity to meet retired, serving officers and families of soldiers who are not with us.

In 2018, his batch celebrated 25 years of service and invited me.

They tell me, 'You being there means that our Archie is there'. [Major Acharya was called 'Archie' by his coursemates.]

One of his coursemates Lieutenant Colonel Manoj Sinha has a special attachment for him. He tells people about my husband and talks about him wherever he goes.

IMAGE: Daughter Aparajita besides her father's bust at the Kargil Memorial.

When you went to Drass for the first time and saw the place of his gallant action it must have been a deeply moving moment.

An officer from my husband's unit who was just out of the Indian Military Academy received us at the station. He said, 'Ma'am, I am like your brother.' He has kept his word.

He said he wanted to talk about the valour of Sir [Major Acharya] standing next to me.

That is the feeling his unit has for him.

It was an emotional experience to see the hilltop from afar and know that they fought there in such difficult, trying circumstances. It was a proud moment.

IMAGE: Memories of Major Acharya at his home in Hyderabad.

Did you know he was at the war front?

He never mentioned. We didn't know that his unit was in Kargil. We came to know that when we heard that Major Vivek Gupta was killed in action. [Also of 2 Rajputana Rifles received the Mahavir Chakra.]

My husband called via satellite phone after receiving the birthday card and letter after his birthday.

He thanked us and asked us to pray for all of them. He spoke for a few seconds to all of us in the family.

IMAGE: Major Acharya with his late parents.

Did you ever meet Captains Thapar and Kenguruse, young officers of 2 Rajputana Rifles who died fighting together?

They were young officers who had just passed out of IMA. It was their first posting and they would often come to our house when we were posted in Gwalior.

Sometimes, they would tell my husband, 'Sir, you go ahead and we will follow you home.'

We had a boxer dog. They would play with our pet.

They both gifted us a big teddy bear, and said, 'Ma'am, this should be the first gift to the baby. The first gift for the baby boy or girl should be from us only.'

That's a sweet memory.

They were so young, just a few months into service when they went to fight in the war.

IMAGE: Major Acharya during his training days.

When you meet parents and families of soldiers who are no longer with us, you must get strength from each other.

Yes, we all draw strength. I have met their families and have also connected with the families of many soldiers killed in action from different parts of the country.

Mrs Salma Shafiq who lost her husband [Major Shafeeq Ghori] in J&K in 2001.

Mrs Thomas, wife of Colonel Jojan Thomas, Ashok Chakra, who was killed fighting terrorists in J&K.

The wife of Colonel Santosh Babu, Mahavir Chakra, who gave his life in the Galwan attack. She's very close and calls me Didi. There are so many others too.

We all stand together and draw strength from each other.

The scar left behind by my husband's loss will never go away. You learn to live with the pain.

Soldiers wear the uniform to protect the nation.

His karma or purpose was to be born to his parents, join the Army, serve the nation and sacrifice his life for the country.

It was written that he would exit the world this way.

It is difficult for any person -- man or woman -- who loses a life partner. When you get married, you believe that you will live with your partner for many years, but it ended so soon.