General Paddy no more

[ramana]

Former Indian Army Chief, General Sundararajan Padmanabhan passed away today in Chennai.

Born on December 5, 1940, in Trivandrum, Kerala, General Padmanabhan had a remarkable career that spanned over 43 years, culminating in his tenure as Chief of Army Staff from September 30, 2000, to December 31, 2002.

Throughout his career, General Padmanabhan held several prestigious command, staff, and instructional positions. He commanded the Gazala Mountain Regiment, one of the oldest artillery regiments of the Indian Army, and served as Instructor Gunnery at the School of Artillery in Deolali. He also held the position of Brigade Major of an infantry brigade during its raising and was the Colonel General Staff of a Mountain Division, where he was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) for his meritorious service.

Known affectionately within army circles as "Paddy," General Padmanabhan commanded an Independent Artillery Brigade, a Mountain Brigade, and an Infantry Brigade at Ranchi, Bihar, and Punjab.

He was the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of an Infantry Division in Punjab and later served as Chief of Staff, 3 Corps. His tenure as the Commander of the 15 Corps in Kashmir from July 1993 to February 1995 was particularly notable, as the Army made significant gains over militants in the region, earning him the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM).

In addition to his military achievements, Gen. Padmanabhan was a prolific writer, authoring two books.

Om Shanti.

[ramana]

Please collect tributes to his illustrious life.

[Mukesh.Kumar]

Moving tribute to Gen. Padmanabhan from Gunners Shot. The speakers were his contemporaries and juniors who served under him.

[ernest]

One of the heroes from my Childhood. Om Shanti

[Cyrano]

One of Bharat's finest generals. Om Shanti.

[venkat_kv]

Om shanti to the departed General.

[KLNMurthy]

veera vaNakkam.