Major Padmapani Acharya and Captain Vijayant Thapar, 2 RAJ RIF

‘Please tell Mother that combat is an honour of a lifetime and I would not think of anything else. What better way to serve the nation.’+

Tololing is a massive mountain. Inspite of recapturing the Tololing Top, Hump, Rocky Knob & Point 5140 there were still features like 3 Pimples, Knoll, Lone Hill Area yet to be captured to complete the victory over the entire Tololing.+

2 Rajputana Rifles was tasked to mount an attack on these features. Two officers who were best of buddies, Major Padmapani Acharya & Captain Vijayant Thapar of 2 RAJ RIF, were part of the assault team on the night of 28 June 1999. +

10 days prior on June 19, Major Padmapani had written in his last letter to his father ‘Please tell Mother that combat is an honour of a lifetime & I would not think of anything else. What better way to serve the nation.’

For his wife Charulata who was six months pregnant at that time he asked his father to ‘tell a story a day of Mahabharata to Charu so that your grand child imbibes good values.’ +

On the other hand Captain Thapar having some kind of premonition before leaving for this attack wrote to his father ‘by the time you get this letter I will be observing you all from the sky.’ While he was stationed in Kupwara Captain Thapar had bonded with a 6 year old girl+

Ruksana who was traumatized because her father was killed by the militants. As and when he could he spent time healing her. He requested his Dad to keep taking care of Ruksana. He also made a request ‘come & see where the Indian army fought for your tomorrow’. +

On that night of 28th June both the buddies fought ferociously. All the features were captured by daylight of 29th June but both didn’t live to see the moment. Both were martyred close by to each other. +

On Sept. 1999 Major Padmapani’s wife gave birth to their daughter who was named Aparajita ‘one who cannot be defeated’ while Captain Thapar’s father fulfilled his son’s wishes by taking care of the little Ruksana and for the last 20 years Retd.+

Col. Thapar has undertaken the trek up to the point where his son was martyred to pay homage to him and to the Indian Armymen who faught in these treacherous mountains and gave their today for our tomorrow’...

(Stills From Documentary Series ‘India On The Road’; Written by- Bikram Saluja;)