NEW DELHI: General Sundararajan Padmanabhan, who was the Army chief during the massive forward troop deployment on the western front with Pakistan under Operation Parakram, passed away in Chennai on Sunday night. He was 83.
Widely regarded as a straight-talking cerebral officer, affectionately called “Paddy” in defence circles, Gen Padmanabhan had publicly rubbished Pakistan’s nuclear sabre-rattling during Operation Parakram, which was launched after the terror attack on Parliament in December 2001.
Asked how India would respond to a nuclear attack during the customary Army Day press conference in Jan 2002, General Padmanabhan said perpetrator would be punished so severely that its continuation thereafter in any form would be in doubt. To another question, he said, “Yes, we are ready for a second strike”, adding that India had sufficient nuclear weapons.
This led to a major flutter, both in South Block and across the globe. Though the 10-month-long Operation Parakram was later interpreted as an exercise in “coercive diplomacy” by the then Vajpayee govt to get Pakistan to stop cross-border terrorism, it is also a fact that the two countries came close to war two times during that period.
Gen Padmanabhan, who served as the 20th Army chief from October 2000 to Dec 2002, largely shunned the limelight after superannuation, refusing post-retirement sinecures.
“He leaves behind a legacy of exemplary leadership to the nation. His legacy is marked by his commitment to the welfare of soldiers,” the Army said on Monday. Commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery in December 1959, Gen Padmanabhan held key command, staff and instructional appointments during his career, which included the posts of director-general of military intelligence and the 15 Corps commander in Srinagar.
Widely regarded as a straight-talking cerebral officer, affectionately called “Paddy” in defence circles, Gen Padmanabhan had publicly rubbished Pakistan’s nuclear sabre-rattling during Operation Parakram, which was launched after the terror attack on Parliament in December 2001.
Asked how India would respond to a nuclear attack during the customary Army Day press conference in Jan 2002, General Padmanabhan said perpetrator would be punished so severely that its continuation thereafter in any form would be in doubt. To another question, he said, “Yes, we are ready for a second strike”, adding that India had sufficient nuclear weapons.
This led to a major flutter, both in South Block and across the globe. Though the 10-month-long Operation Parakram was later interpreted as an exercise in “coercive diplomacy” by the then Vajpayee govt to get Pakistan to stop cross-border terrorism, it is also a fact that the two countries came close to war two times during that period.
Gen Padmanabhan, who served as the 20th Army chief from October 2000 to Dec 2002, largely shunned the limelight after superannuation, refusing post-retirement sinecures.
“He leaves behind a legacy of exemplary leadership to the nation. His legacy is marked by his commitment to the welfare of soldiers,” the Army said on Monday. Commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery in December 1959, Gen Padmanabhan held key command, staff and instructional appointments during his career, which included the posts of director-general of military intelligence and the 15 Corps commander in Srinagar.