Shekhar Gupta’s Key Remarks on General Vaidya’s Sacrifice

General Arun Vaidya, one of India’s most decorated soldiers, has been remembered in a column by ThePrint Editor in Chief Shekhar Gupta. Referring to General Douglas MacArthur’s famous line about soldiers fading away, Gupta highlights the irony of Vaidya’s final years and the circumstances surrounding his death.

Vaidya played a key role in Operation Bluestar, which remains one of the most traumatic episodes in the Indian Army’s history. After the operation, he became a target of Sikh militants and was assassinated by hostile gunfire. The column also recalls the threats faced by other military officers associated with Bluestar and raises questions about how the contributions and sacrifices of such soldiers are remembered.