Major Mukund Varadarajan AC

Major Mukund Varadarajan was born on April 12, 1983, in Paruthipattu Village, near Avadi in Chennai in Tamil Nadu. His family later moved to Tambaram after his father got a job at Indian Overseas Bank a public sector bank. Son of Shri R Varadarajan and Smt Geetha Major Mukund grew up with two sisters, Swetha and Nithya, who were his constant companions and shared a close-knit family bond. Coming from a family with a strong military tradition, Major Mukund was inspired by his grandfather and two uncles who had served in the Indian Army. Their stories of courage and dedication ignited a passion in him from a young age to join the armed forces and serve his country. His academic journey was marked by excellence and a wide range of interests. He completed his Bachelor of Commerce degree from Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Viswa Mahavidyalaya at Enathur in Tamil Nadu. Driven by a keen interest in communication, he also pursued a diploma in journalism from Madras Christian College, Tambaram. Despite his promising prospects in the civilian sector, his heart was set on a military career, influenced by his family's legacy and his deep sense of patriotism.

In 2005, Major Mukund Varadarajan took the first concrete step towards his dream by successfully clearing the highly competitive Combined Defence Services Examination (CDSE). He was selected to join the prestigious Officers’ Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai, known for grooming some of the finest officers of the Indian Army. He joined the SS 81 Course at OTA Chennai, where he underwent rigorous training that tested his physical, mental, and leadership skills. On March 18, 2006, he passed out from OTA Chennai as a Lieutenant, marking the beginning of his distinguished military career. He was commissioned into the 22nd Battalion of the Rajput Regiment (22 Rajput), an esteemed infantry regiment of the Indian Army renowned for its gallant soldiers and numerous battle honors. The Rajput Regiment, with its motto "Sarvatra Vijay" (Victory Everywhere), was a fitting unit for an officer like Major Mukund, who embodied the spirit of courage and resilience.

Lieutenant Mukund’s early years in the army were marked by dedication and rapid professional growth. He quickly earned the trust and respect of his peers and superiors with his leadership qualities and commitment to his duties. He was promoted to the rank of Captain on October 18, 2008, reflecting his exceptional performance and growing responsibilities. During his early service, he was posted at the Infantry School in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, where he contributed to training young officers and soldiers. His dedication to honing his skills and knowledge was evident in every role he undertook. In addition to his service within India, Major Mukund also had the unique opportunity to be part of the United Nations Mission in Lebanon, where he gained international exposure and experience in peacekeeping operations.

In his personal life, Major Mukund found happiness when he married his longtime friend, Ms. Indhu Rebecca Varghese, on August 28, 2009. Their bond was one of deep love and understanding, providing him with a strong support system throughout his military career. The couple was blessed with a daughter, Ashreya, born on March 17, 2011, who became the light of their lives. He was a devoted husband and father, cherishing every moment spent with his family despite the challenges of his demanding profession. His career continued to progress as he was promoted to the rank of Major on October 18, 2012. Recognizing his leadership abilities and operational experience, he was subsequently deputed to serve with the 44 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) Battalion, a specialized unit tasked with counter-insurgency operations in the conflict-ridden region of Jammu and Kashmir. The deployment to the 44 RR Battalion in December 2012 marked a new chapter in Major Mukund’s military career, placing him on the frontline of India’s fight against insurgency.  As part of the 44 RR Battalion, Major Mukund was entrusted with critical responsibilities, leading operations against insurgents and working to restore peace and stability in the region. His time in Jammu and Kashmir was marked by numerous successful missions, showcasing his bravery, tactical expertise, and strong leadership.

Qazipathri Operation(J&K) : 25 Apr 2014

During 2014, Maj Mukund’s unit 44 RR was deployed in the Shopian district of J & K and was engaged in counterinsurgency operations regularly. The battalion with Col Amit Singh Dabas as its Commanding Officer had its headquarters at Zawora Manlo near the apple town of Shopian. After joining his unit, Maj Mukund participated in several counter-insurgency and counter-infiltration operations and proved his mettle on various occasions. On 25 Apr 2014, information was received from intelligence sources about the presence of some hardcore terrorists including Jaish-e-Mohammed commander Altaf Wani in Qazipathri village in Shopian district. It was decided to launch an operation to flush out the terrorists under the leadership of Maj Mukund Varadarajan. As decided Maj Mukund swung into action along with his troops and reached the suspected area within 30 minutes. The intelligence information also suggested that the same terrorists were responsible for killing election officials 24 hours earlier.

At around 1500 hrs, Maj Mukund split his QRT(Quick Reaction Team) into 6 buddy pairs and set up a cordon in the suspected two-story house in Qazipathri village. The suspected house had a spacious compound with an orchard and two outhouses. The troops soon made contact with the heavily armed terrorists, who opened fire at the assault team on being challenged. The exchange of fire raged for an hour but there was no headway, as the terrorists were hiding and firing from the vantage points. Sensing the gravity of the situation, Maj Mukund realized that some other operational tactic had to be employed to make a breakthrough. Maj Mukund and his buddy Sep Vikram Singh under the covering fire from other men, dropped to their bellies and crawled to the entrance of the house. Maj Mukund quickly using an IED(Improvised Explosive Device) blew up the entrance of the house and charged into the house along with Sep Vikram Singh. In a swift action, Maj Mukund shot and killed one terrorist, simultaneously directing the fire of his troops.

The remaining two terrorists then threw grenades and using the cover of debris bolted out of the house towards the cement outhouse. Maj Mukund and Sep Vikram Singh followed them and threw a grenade inside the outhouse. The resultant blast killed one terrorist but Jaish-e-Mohammed commander Altaf Wani survived who fired at Sep Vikram Singh. He received two bullets in the neck and jaw and was grievously injured. He soon succumbed to his injuries and was martyred. Maj Mukund without pausing and caring for his safety, lunged forward and sprayed bullets on Altaf Wani killing him instantly. However, during the heavy exchange of fire, Maj Mukund too received three gunshots and soon collapsed. He was immediately rushed to the Army's 92 Base Hospital at Srinagar, but Maj Mukund lost the battle for life on the way and breathed his last in the arms of the regimental medical officer.  Maj Mukund Varadarajan was a committed soldier and gritty officer, who laid down his life at the age of 31 years in the line of his duty Maj Mukund was given the nation’s highest peacetime gallantry award “Ashok Chakra” for displaying valor beyond the call of duty and supreme sacrifice.  Major Mukund achieved the distinction of being the fourth recipient of the “Ashok Chakra” from the state of Tamil Nadu. The previous "Ashok Chakra" award winners from the state are Second Lieutenant P.M Raman of Tiruvannamalai district (1957, posthumously), Major Dinesh Raghu Raman of Kancheepuram district (2008, posthumously) and Major D Sreeram Kumar of Madurai district (2010).

Major Mukund Varadarajan is survived by his father Shri R Varadarajan, mother Smt Geetha, wife Smt Indhu Rebecca Varghese, daughter Ms Arshea, and two sisters Ms Swetha & Ms Nithya.

• Major Mukund Varadarajan’s mother Smt Geetha paying tributes to her son said, ‘As a mother, I wanted him to be near me and not live where danger lay’, ‘My son was so sure about where he wanted to be, and he was so happy to wear the army uniform and work for the country’. She also said, “Before any major operation, he would tell me, “Please pray for me, Amma, but don’t ask me why”.
• Major Mukund Varadarajan had turned 31, on April 12, 2014,  his father Shri R Varadarajan had sent him birthday greetings on Whatsapp, early in the morning, to which there was an immediate thank you response where he said he’d call in the evening. Which he did. And then, as always, he spoke a little to his father and a lot to his mother. But one of the messages he sent to his father was a secret. “He told me he was going to take leave for ten days and come home in the first week of May. He wanted me to keep it as a secret from his wife Indhu. He wanted to surprise her.” A few days later, on April 25, he came home a few days early… in a coffin.

• On June 1, 2015, a bust of Major Mukund Varadarajan was unveiled at the Officers' Training Academy Chennai in his honour. 
• A movie "Amaran"(In Tamil, Kannada, Telugu and Hindi) based on the life of Major Mukund Varadarajan was released in October 2024. Actor Sivakarthikeyan portrayed Major Mukund Varadarajan and his wife Indu Rebecca Varghese was played by Sai Pallavi. Directed by Rajkumar Periasamy, the film also starred actors Bhuvan Arora, Rahul Bose, and Suresh Chakravarthi.

The citation for the “Ashok Chakra” awarded to him reads :

On 25 April 2014, Major Mukund Varadarajan, Company Commander, received information about the presence of three terrorists in village of Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir. This group had targeted polling officials just a day prior. Major Mukund acted swiftly by deploying troops in an effective cordon and simultaneously evacuated civilians from the target house. Major Mukund personally led the demolition team and used the resources available to him in a critically short time period to bring down the target house. This aggressive action forced the terrorists to shift their position to an outhouse in the compound.

Major Mukund along with his buddy Sepoy Vikram displaying raw courage crawled in proximity to the outhouse. The officer lobbed a grenade inside the cement outhouse killing one terrorist instantaneously. Another terrorist present in the outhouse opened a burst of auto fire thereby seriously injuring Major Mukund. Although bleeding profusely, unmindful of his grave injury the officer crawled ahead, fired and neutralized the second terrorist. The elimination of terrorist avenged the killing of the election officials within 24 hours and restored faith of public in democracy and the Indian Army. Major Mukund Varadarajan was evacuated but succumbed to his injuries.

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