Arun Shridhar Vaidya
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General Arun Shridhar Vaidya Padma Vibhushan, PVSM, MVC and Bar, AVSM |
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|---|---|
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| Born | 27 January 1926 Alibag, British India |
| Died | 10 August 1986 Pune, Maharashtra, India |
| Allegiance |
 British India India
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| Service/branch |
 British Indian Army Indian Army
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| Years of service | 1945 - 1986 |
| Rank |
 General
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| Commands held |
Eastern Army Deccan Horse |
General Arun Shridhar Vaidya Padma Vibhushan, PVSM, MVC and Bar, AVSM (27 January 1926 – 10 August 1986) was the 13th Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of the Indian Army.
In 1965, the then Lieutenant Colonel Vaidya was in command of the Deccan Horse. During the time he was instrumental in saving the Command Trucks and fleeing Divisional Headquarters through his tanks through an encirclement by Pakistan Army's 6th Armoured Division at the Battle of Chawinda which resulted in destruction of Pakistan's 1st Armoured Division and heavy loss of Pakistani lives. For this he was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra.
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 or Battle of Barapind in the same conflict, Brigadier Vaidya displayed skill and leadership in getting his tanks through deep minefields. For this he was awarded a second Maha Vir Chakra (known as the Bar to MVC).
On 31 July 1983 General Vaidya became the 13th Chief Of Army Staff of the Indian Army . In 1984, he planned Operation Blue Star to evict Sikh militants hidden in Golden temple.
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Wikipedia