Former Chief of Army Staff General S. Padmanabhan passed away in Chennai. File photo
Former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General S. Padmanabhan passed away at his residence in Chennai on Sunday. The funeral is scheduled for Tuesday. General Padmanabhan, who was the COAS between September 2000 and December 2002, was 83, and is survived by his wife, a daughter and a son.
Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi and all ranks of the Army offered their tributes and heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, a statement from the Army said.
“Known affectionately as ‘Paddy’ among his peers, Gen. Padmanabhan’s legacy is marked by his commitment to the welfare of soldiers, modernisation of the Army and strategic vision,” the Army said. General Padmanabhan led the Army during the crucial period of ‘Operation Parakram’.
Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi paid floral tributes to the mortal remains at the officer’s Adyar residence in Chennai on Monday. Health Minister Ma. Subramanian paid floral tributes on behalf of the Tamil Nadu government.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said he was deeply saddened by the passing away of General Padmanabhan. “His exemplary leadership and unwavering dedication to our nation’s security will always be remembered. My heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time,” Mr. Stalin said.
Lieutenant General Karanbir Singh Brar, General Officer Commanding in Chief, Dakshin Bharat Area, placed a wreath on the mortal remains.
Born at Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala on December 5, 1940, General Padmanabhan was commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery after graduating from the Indian Military Academy on December 13, 1959. He commanded an Independent Light Battery from August 1975 to July 1976 and later on commanded the Gazala Mountain Regiment from September 1977 to March 1980.
He served as Instructor Gunnery at the School of Artillery in Deolali, and he has been a Brigade Major of an infantry brigade on its raising and served as Colonel General Staff of a Mountain Division from January 1983 to May 1985. He commanded an Independent Artillery Brigade and a Mountain Brigade.
He commanded an Infantry Brigade from December 1988 to February 1991 at Ranchi, Bihar and Punjab and was then appointed as the General Officer Commanding of an Infantry Division in Punjab from March 1991 to August 1992. He served as Chief of Staff, 3 Corps from September 1992 to June 1993.
After his promotion to Lieutenant General, he was commander of the 15 Corps in the Kashmir valley from July 1993 to February 1995. It was during his tenure as the 15 Corps Commander, that the Army made big gains over the militants in Kashmir and could even scale down its operations.
General Padmanabhan held the post of Director General Military Intelligence after the successful culmination of which, he took over as the GOC of the Northern Command at Udhampur in September 1996.
Before being appointed as the Chief of Army Staff, he was the GOC of Southern Command. He retired on December 31, 2002, after completing more than 43 years of distinguished military service.
Gen. Padmanabhan was an alumnus of the Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun, and the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla.
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