Listen to Story "Dear Papa" is how the letter starts. The blue inland letter dated June 19, 1999, in beautiful handwriting was penned amid icy cold winds. The letter was from Major Padmapani Acharya of 2 Rajputana Rifles.
It would be the last letter that Major Acharya, one of the heroes of the Kargil War, would write. Major Acharya had led his men to an astounding victory, recapturing the Tololing Heights. But he knew the war was far from over, and he might need to make the ultimate sacrifice.
He died a hero's death nine days after writing the letter. Major Padmapani Acharya was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra, the second-highest wartime gallantry award. In the last letter from Kargil, to his father, Major Acharya explains what motivates a soldier to die for his country, even as he calls the Prime Minister "a good chap".
The letter is a glimpse into his last days at the battlefront, as he tries to comfort his family about their concerns regarding casualties in a war. Soldiers at war fronts write to their families knowing that it could be the last message for their loved ones. Vowed to military secrecy, a soldier can but reveal precious little of the war front.
Major Acharya's letter doesn't say where and when, but is significant in personal details. As India marks the 25th anniversary of the Kargil War, the letter tells the story of a braveheart, and makes people wonder at his composure. It is a must to revisit it -- lest we forget.
In the letter , written in respons.