{{Short description|Recipient of Maha Vir Chakra}} {{more citations needed|date=November 2012}} {{Use British English|date=February 2012}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}} {{Infobox military person | honorific_prefix = [[Major (rank)|Major]] | name = Padmapani Acharya | honorific_suffix = [[Maha Vir Chakra|MVC]] | image = Padmapani_Acharya_MVC.jpg | image_size = 250 px | birth_date = {{birth date|1969|6|21|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Odisha]], [[India]] | death_date = {{death date and age|1999|6|28|1969|6|21|df=y}} | death_place = 3rd pimple complex, [[Kargil district|Kargil]], [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]], [[India]] | nickname = | rank = [[File:Major of the Indian Army.svg|20px]] [[Major (rank)|Major]] | allegiance = {{flagicon|India}} [[Republic of India]] | branch = {{army|India}} | service_number = IC55072K | unit = [[Rajputana Rifles|2 Rajputana Rifles]] | service_years = 1994-1999 | battles = [[Kargil War]]{{DOW}} | awards = [[File:Maha Vir Chakra ribbon.svg|32px]] [[Maha Vir Chakra]] }}
[[Major (rank)|Major]] '''Padmapani Acharya''', [[Maha Vir Chakra|MVC]] (21 June 1969 – 28 June 1999) was an officer in the [[Indian Army]]. He was awarded the second highest Indian military honour, [[Maha Vir Chakra]] posthumously for his actions during the [[Kargil War]] on 28 June 1999.<ref>[http://news.rediff.com/slide-show/2010/oct/14/slide-show-1-when-i-met-the-family-of-a-kargil-martyr.htm When I met the family of a Kargil martyr - Rediff.com News]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bellinfosys.com/soldier.htm |title=India Kargil War Heros Sons of Brave parents Indian Army Soldiers |access-date=25 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816053430/http://www.bellinfosys.com/soldier.htm |archive-date=16 August 2017 |url-status=usurped }}</ref>
==Personal life== Acharya was originally from [[Odisha]] and was a resident of [[Hyderabad, India|Hyderabad]], [[Telangana]]. Acharya was married to Charulatha. Acharya's father, Jagannath Acharya, was a retired [[Wing commander (rank)|Wing Commander]] of the [[Indian Air Force]], during 1965 and 1971 [[Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts|wars with Pakistan]]. He then worked with the [[Defence Research and Development Laboratory]] (DRDL) in Hyderabad.<ref>[http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/jul/03kash5.htm Rediff On The NeT:The brave son of Andhra returns home]</ref> Maj. Acharya was survived by his parents, wife and his daughter, Aparajita, who was born a few months after his death. Aparajita Acharya has been an [[National Cadet Corps (India)|NCC]] cadet.
==Military career== Acharya graduated from the [[Officers Training Academy]], [[Madras]] in 1993 he was commissioned as a [[Second Lieutenant]] into the 2nd battalion, [[Rajputana Rifles|The Rajputana Rifles]] (2 Raj Rif).
== Kargil War == At the outbreak of the [[Kargil War]], Acharya was in command of a [[Company (military unit)|Company]] of 2 Raj Rif. Acharya wrote to his father:
{{block quote|Dear Papa… don't worry about casualties - it's a professional hazard beyond our control. At least it is for a good cause. Tell mamma that combat is an honour of a lifetime and I could not think of anything less. What better way to serve the nation? Tell a story a day from the Mahabharata to Charu so that your grandchild imbibes good values.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Major Padmapani Acharya, MVC {{!}} Honourpoint |url=https://www.honourpoint.in/profile/major-padmapani-acharya-mvc/ |access-date=2022-03-13 |website=See His last words TAB |language=en-US}}</ref>}}
== Maha Vir Chakra == The citation for the [[Maha Vir Chakra]] reads as follows:<ref>{{cite web |title=PADMAPANI ACHARYA {{!}} Gallantry Awards |url=https://gallantryawards.gov.in/Awardee/padmapani-acharya |website=gallantryawards.gov.in}}</ref> {{Quotation|Gazette Notification: 17 Pres/2000,15.8.99 Operation: Op Vijay - Kargil Date of Award: 15 Aug 1999
{{center|'''CITATION'''<br> '''MAJOR PADMAPANI ACHARYA (IC-55072)'''<br> '''2 RAJPUTANA RIFLES'''<br/> '''(POSTHUMOUS)'''}}
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, 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 safely, Major Acharya took the reserve platoon of his company and led it through raining artillery shells. Even as his men were falling to the 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 Acharya crawled up to the enemy position 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.|sign=|source=}}
==In popular culture== The events of [[Battle of Tololing]] was adapted as one of the prominent battle scenes in the [[Hindi]] [[war film]] ''[[LOC Kargil]]'' in which actor [[Nagarjuna Akkineni]] portrayed the role of Acharya.<ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/fourteen-years-on-memories-still-fresh-in-majors-family/article4949781.ece Fourteen years on, memories still fresh in Major's family - The Hindu]</ref>
==See also== * [[Digendra Kumar]] * [[Neikezhakuo Kenguruse]] * [[Magod Basappa Ravindranath]]
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Acharya, Padmapani}} [[Category:Indian Army officers]] [[Category:Recipients of the Maha Vir Chakra]] [[Category:People of the Kargil War]] [[Category:Military personnel from Odisha]] [[Category:1999 deaths]] [[Category:1969 births]]