Mukund Varadarajan

In this Tamil name, there is no surname or family name. The name Varadarajan is a patronym, and the person should be referred to by their given name, Mukund.

Major

Mukund Varadarajan

AC
Born12 April 1983 (1983-04-12)
Kozhikode district, Kerala, India
Died25 April 2014(2014-04-25) (aged 31)
Shopian district,
Jammu and Kashmir, India
Buried
Cremated in Chennai
AllegianceIndia
BranchIndian Army
Years of service2006–2014
RankMajor
Unit22 Rajput Regiment
44 Rashtriya Rifles
Battles / wars
Awards Ashoka Chakra
Alma mater
Spouse(s)Indhu Rebecca Varghese
Children1

Mukund Varadarajan, AC (12 April 1983 – 25 April 2014) was a commissioned officer in the Indian Army's Rajput Regiment. He was killed in action during a counter terrorism operation while on deputation to the 44th Rashtriya Rifles battalion in Jammu and Kashmir. He was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest peacetime decoration, for his actions.

Born in 1983 in a Tamil family in Kozhikode district, Mukund completed his college in 2004 before joining the Officers Training Academy in Chennai. He was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Indian army in 2006. He served at the Infantry school in Mhow and was part of a United Nations mission in Lebanon. He was promoted to the rank of captain in 2011. He became a major in 2012 and was deputed to the 44th Battalion of the Rashtriya Rifles.

In June 2013, Mukund killed Altaf Baba, then commander of Jaish-e-Mohammed in South Kashmir, when a group of terrorists attacked Mukund's army convoy. On 25 April 2014, Mukund led his team to Qazipathri in Southern Kashmir, to engage with Altaf Wani, who had replaced Altaf Baba as the local commander of the terrorists in the region. Wani and two terrorists had killed electoral officers during the 2014 Indian general election. Mukund and sepoy Vikram Singh killed all the three terrorists in the ensuing gunfight. However, both the army men were also killed in the battle.

On 1 June 2015, a bust of Mukund was unveiled at the premises of the Officers Training Academy in Chennai. In 2024, a Tamil biographical film Amaran, which was based on his life, was released.

Early and personal life

Mukund Varadarajan was born on 12 April 1983 in a Tamil Iyengar family to R Varadarajan and Geetha Varadarajan in Kozhikode district, Kerala, India.[1][2] His family hailed from Paruthipattu in Avadi near Chennai.[1][3] He was the youngest of the three siblings.[4] His father worked in a public sector bank in Kerala, and the family shifted to Tambaram in Chennai during Mukund's childhood.[1][2][3] Mukund received his Bachelor of Commerce from Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Viswa Mahavidyalaya at Kanchipuram and a diploma in journalism from the Madras Christian College.[1][2][3]

Mukund worked at a Business Process Outsourcing center for sometime before he decided to join the Indian Armed Forces.[4] His grandfather Raghavachari and two of his uncles also served in the Indian Army, which motivated him to take up a career with the armed forces.[3][4] He married Indhu Rebecca Varghese in 2009, and the couple have a daughter.[1][4]

Career

Mukund joined the Officers Training Academy in Chennai in 2004.[3][4] After graduating, he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Rajput Regiment of the Indian army on 18 March 2006.[5][6] He served at the Infantry school in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh and was part of a United Nations Mission in Lebanon.[3][4] He received permanent commission back in the Indian army effective 18 March 2011.[7] He was promoted to the rank of captain on 28 July 2011.[8] He was later promoted to major on 18 October 2012,[9] and was deputed to the 44th Battalion of the Rashtriya Rifles in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir in December 2012.[1][4]

In June 2013, Mukund's convoy was attacked by armed terrorists near an apple orchard in Shopian district. The group was led by Altaf Baba, the South Kashmir commander of Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistan-based Islamic militant organization.[10]: 137–139 [11] While several Indian army men were hurt in the attack, Mukund killed Baba with the help of his army colleague Sepoy Vikram Singh.[10]: 137–139  As per Mukund's commanding officer Amit Singh Dabas, Mukund worked with the electronic warfare unit at Srinagar on cracking the communication codes used by the terrorists.[10]: 140  Based on the cracked codes, the Indian army found a safe house in Qazipathri village, which was used by the terrorists while transiting between Shopian and Yarwan forests.[10]: 141 

Qazipathri operation

On 25 April 2014, at around 14:30 IST, Indian army intelligence reports indicated the presence of three armed terrorists including a foreigner in the Qazipathri safe house in Southern Kashmir.[10]: 142 [12][13] One of the terrorists was Altaf Wani, who had replaced Altaf Baba as the local commander of the terrorists in the region.[10]: 141  The other two belonged to Lashkar-e-Taiba, another Pakistan-based Islamic militant organization.[10]: 143 [14] The terrorists had targeted electoral officers during the polling for the 2014 Indian general election the previous day, and killed one of the officers.[13][10]: 143  Mukund led his team for a cordon and search operation, and reached the location at 15:00 hrs. The twelve member team was split into six pairs of two men each and were assigned specific roles. The compound consisted of a two storey brick house surrounded by orchards, and two outhouses.[10]: 141–142  The army team initially evacuated the civilians from the area.[10]: 142 

At about 17:00 hrs, Mukund and his team came under heavy gun fire from the terrorists holed inside the house.[10]: 142 [15] At around 17:30, Mukund, who was paired with sepoy Vikram Singh, lobbed a improvised explosive device into the terrorists' hiding. In the ensuing gun fight, one of the terrorists was killed.[10]: 143  The other two terrorists returned fire, which injured Mukund in his forearm.[10]: 143–144  When the army men retaliated, the remaining two terrorists including Wani moved to one of the outhouses in the compound. Mukund lobbed a grenade into the outhouse, killing one of them.[10]: 144 [13] Wani hid behind a stack of wooden logs, and returned fire, thereby killing Vikram Singh.[10]: 145  In the ensuing firefight, Mukund killed Wani, while himself being hit by some of the bullets shot by Wani.[10]: 145 [13] The bodies of the three killed terrorists were recovered later from the site.[12][15]

Ranks

Symbol Rank Service Rank dates
Lieutenant Indian Army 18 March 2006[6]
Captain 28 July 2011[8]
Major 18 October 2012[9]

Death and aftermath

Mukund's funeral
Mukund's wife receives the Ashok Chakra from the Indian president in January 2015

Mukund had sustained three bullet injuries during the operation in Kashmir, and was bleeding profusely. He told one of his team members that they killed Wani, but lost Vikram in the process. He also remarked that, "And I got hit too. I can’t believe it."[10]: 145  As per Dabas' instructions, Mukund was to be moved to the government hospital in Pulwama for initial treatment, and to be shifted to Srinagar later for further treatment.[10]: 145  However, he succumbed to his injuries enroute to the hospital.[1][10]: 146  His body was shifted to Chennai on 27 April, and was kept at the Officers Training Academy for public viewing. His body was cremated with full state honours on 28 April.[12] Dabas later wrote a letter to Mukund's wife, in which he remarked,

Each one of us who knew him will find our own way to overcome the loss. Grief will fade away and when it’s gone, only one thing will remain-pride.

— Amit Singh Dabas, Commanding officer, 44 Rashtriya Rifles[10]: 150 

Legacy

On 15 August 2014, Mukund was posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry award. It was presented to his wife Indu by then Indian president Pranab Mukherjee on 26 January 2015.[16] His award commendation read as "(for showing) exemplary leadership skills, raw courage and swift action."[17] It was further cited that:

Maj. Mukund Varadarajan exhibited most conspicuous bravery and exemplary leadership and made the supreme sacrifice while fighting with the terrorists

— Ashok Chakra citation[10]: 149 

On 1 June 2015, a bust of Mukund was unveiled at the premises of the Officers Training Academy in Chennai.[18] The 2015 Malayalam film Picket 43 was dedicated to Mukund,[19] who had been assisting the film crew during production.[20] In 2024, a Tamil film, Amaran, a biopic based on Mukund's life, was released.[21] Sivakarthikeyan portrayed Mukund in the film.[22][23]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Amaran: Who is Major Mukund Varadarajan?". BBC News (in Tamil). 30 October 2024. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "Erasing Brahmin identity: Tambrams outrage over Major Mukund Varadarajan biopic". The Statesman. 5 November 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Tambaram mourns a braveheart". The Hindu. 27 April 2014. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Major Worked at BPO Before Realising Childhood Dream". The New Indian Express. 27 April 2014. Archived from the original on 28 April 2014. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  5. ^ "Who is Major Mukund Varadarajan?". The Hindu. 1 November 2024. Archived from the original on 11 February 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  6. ^ a b "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 21 April 2007. p. 625. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 April 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  7. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 11 June 2011. p. 1101. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 June 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 3 September 2011. p. 1622. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  9. ^ a b "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 13 July 2013. p. 1058. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Shiv Aroor; Rahul Singh (2017). India's most fearless: True Stories of Modern Military Heroes. Penguin Random House. ISBN 978-9-38681-542-2.
  11. ^ "Jaish-e-Mohammed". National Counterterrorism Center, Government of United States. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  12. ^ a b c "Major Mukund Varadarajan cremated with full state honours". The Hindu. 21 May 2016. Archived from the original on 14 June 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  13. ^ a b c d "Gallantry awards". Government of India. Archived from the original on 25 April 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  14. ^ "Lashkar-e-Taiba". National Counterterrorism Center, Government of United States. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  15. ^ a b "Independence Day Gallantry Awards and Other Decorations". Press Information Bureau. 14 August 2014. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  16. ^ "Gallantry Awards to Army on 26 January 2015". Press Information Bureau (Press release). 25 January 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  17. ^ "Ashok Chakra for Mukund Varadarajan, Neeraj Kumar Who Died Fighting Terrorists". NDTV. 26 January 2015. Archived from the original on 30 January 2015. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  18. ^ "Bust in memory of Major Mukund; Capt Kalia a forgotten hero". Oneindia. 1 June 2015. Archived from the original on 17 February 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  19. ^ Ramachandran, Mythily (11 February 2015). "'Picket 43,' a tale of friendship beyond borders". Gulf News. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  20. ^ Karthikeyan, Shruti (1 July 2014). "I have fought and killed people, but fighting is not a solution: Major Ravi". The Times of India. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  21. ^ "'Amaran' teaser: Sivakarthikeyan as Major Mukund Varadarajan prepares his men for battle". The Hindu. 16 February 2024. Archived from the original on 17 February 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  22. ^ "Kamal Haasan unveils Sivakarthikeyan's 'Amaran' teaser ahead of his birthday". India Today. 16 February 2024. Archived from the original on 17 February 2024. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  23. ^ "Sivakarthikeyan Plays Real Life Hero Major Mukund Varadarajan In His Next Film Amaran". Times Now. 16 February 2024. Archived from the original on 17 February 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
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