20-year-old receives felicitation for father she never saw

LAMOCHAN (DRASS): Aparajita was in her mother's womb when her father, Major Padmapani Acharya, died in a gut-wrenching fight on a Tololing peak in 1999 after having lobbed grenades at a Pakistani post. Aparajita was born three months after Major Acharya, company commander of 2, Rajputana Rifles, died on June 28, 1999, in the pivotal battle for the capture of Tololing peaks. He was posthumously awarded Mahavir Chakra.
On Thursday, the 20-year-old law student from Hyderabad was in Drass to receive the felicitation for her father at an event marking 20 years of the Kargil conflict.
The Telugu girl began her address with quotes from the Gita, which her father had written in his last letter to her grandfather on June 14, 1999. She won the hearts of the audience when she told them that she had travelled alone to Kargil, adding that "learning about her father's valour" instilled perpetual fearlessness and fortitude in her.
"I am always reminded of the quote from Gita when Lord Krishna tells Arjuna: Life doesn't belong to those who fear it, it belongs to those who walk fearlessly. I don't want to talk about my father's bravery. I was born after my father's martyrdom and grew up hearing tales of Army officials. I have travelled alone, but not for a moment have I felt alone in the company of the family my father belonged to, in front of the hills where he was martyred," Aparajita said.
Working to fortify national security is her objective, she said and added she wants to join Army.