A.S.Vaidya
General Arun Shridhar Vaidya, MVC(Bar), AVSM (1926 - 10 August 1986) was the 13th Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) of the Indian Army.
Career
Lieutenant Colonel
In 1965, the then Lieutenant Colonel Vaidya was in command of the Deccan Horse. During the time he was instrumental in stemming thrusts by Pakistani Armour divisions in the Battle of Asal Uttar and later at Cheema. For this he was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra.
Brigadier
During the 1971 Indo-Pak conflict, the then Brigadier Vaidya was commander of an armored brigade in the Zafarwal sector on the western front. In the battle of Chakra and Dahira, the hostile terrain was combined with minefields. He crossed through the minefield and moved forward. Thus the entire squadron was able to push through the lane and quickly deploy itself to meet the Pakistan Army's counter-attacks.
During the Battle of Basantar in the same conflict, Brigadier Vaidya displayed skill and leadership in getting his tanks through deep minefields. In this battle, 62 Pakistan Army tanks were destroyed. For this he was awarded a second Maha Vir Chakra (known as the Bar to MVC).
General (CoAS)
On July 31, 1983 General Vaidya became the 13th Chief Of Army Staff of the Indian Army . In 1984, he planned Operation Blue Star.
Retirement
He retired on January 31, 1986 as India's most decorated soldier.[1] He had completed over 40 years of service.
Operation Blue Star
Operation Blue Star was a controversial military operation at the premises of the Golden Temple in 1984, against Sikhs fighting for greater autonomy within Indian state. .[1] The Indian government cliamed the temple had been taken over by militants seeking to establish sovereign state of Khalistan. The General described the operation as the "most difficult and painful" decision of his career.[2]
Assassination
General Vaidya retired and took residence in Pune, India. On August 10, 1986 he was shot to death by Sikh militants while driving his car home from the market.[3] According to the police, the assailants pulled up next to his car on motor scooters and fired eight or nine shots into the car.[4] Vaidya reportedly died instantly of head and neck wounds. His wife, who was also in the car, was wounded by four bullets in her back and thighs.[5]
According to Indian intelligence sources, Vaidya had been the number four assassination target on lists by Sikh militants and he was one of several people killed in retaliation for Operation Blue Star.[6][7]
Following the assassination, the Khalistan Commando Force issued a statement declaring that Vaidya had been killed in retaliation for the Golden Temple operation.[6] In 1989, Sikh militants Sardar Sukhdev Singh Sukha and Sardar Harjinder Singh Jinda were sentenced to death for the killing. Despite admitting to the killing, they pled not-guilty, justifying their actions by saying that Vaidya was "guilty of a serious crime, the punishment for which could only be death".[7] The two were sentenced to death on October 9,1992.
Awards and Recognition
- Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) in 1965 - for distinctive service in the Indo-Pak war
- Bar to Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) in 1971 - for service in the Indo-Pak war
- Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM)
- Padma Vibhushan Posthumous
References
- ^ "Operation Bluestar, 20 Years On" http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/jun/03spec.htm Rediff.com Retrieved
- ^ IN BRIEF; "Indian General Who Raided Temple Is Slain". New York Times. August 17, 1986
- ^ Associated Press. "Shrine Leader Killed in Ambush", The Dallas Morning News, August 11, 1986.
- ^ Weisman, Steven R. "A Top Indian General is Assassinated", Seattle Post-Intelligencer, August 11, 1986.
- ^ Sun-Times Wires. "Sikhs kill ex-army chief, massacre revenge hinted", Chicago Sun-Times, August 11, 1986.
- ^ a b Associated Press. "General cremated; Sikhs admit to killing", c/o Houston Chronicle, August 11, 1986.
- ^ a b "The Vaidya Murder Case: Confirming Death Sentences", India Abroad. (New York edition). New York, N.Y.: July 24, 1992. Vol.XXII, Issue. 43; pg.20.
