General Sundararajan Padmanabhan, a former Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army, passed away on Monday at his home in Chennai. He was 83.
Affectionately known as “Paddy” among his colleagues and subordinates, General Padmanabhan served as Chief of Army Staff from September 30, 2000, until his retirement on December 31, 2002, after a remarkable career of over 43 years.
“General Padmanabhan passed away last night (Sunday) in Chennai after a prolonged illness, at the age of 83, leaving behind a legacy of exemplary leadership and dedication to the nation,” the Army said in a statement.
General Padmanabhan is survived by his wife, daughter and a son. The funeral will be held on Tuesday evening, a source close to him said on Monday.
Born in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram on December 5, 1940, he was a distinguished alumnus of the Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC) in Dehradun and the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Khadakwasla. He graduated from the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington, in 1973 and the National Defence College (NDC), New Delhi.
General Padmanabhan was commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery on December 13, 1959, and served in the Army for over four decades, during which he held key command, staff and instructional appointments.
The retired General also commanded the Gazala Field Regiment, two infantry brigades and an artillery brigade. As a Major General, he commanded an infantry division in the Western Sector, and as a Lieutenant General, led a Corps in the Kashmir Valley where he played a crucial role in counter-terrorism operations.
Paying his tributes, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said that he was deeply saddened by the loss.
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State Governor R N Ravi also paid tributes to the mortal remains of the former Army Chief at his residence in Adyar in Chennai.
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