Mukund Varadarajan - Revision history

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← Older revision		Revision as of 22:41, 13 December 2022
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	{{Short description\|Indian Army officer (1983–2014)}}		{{Short description\|Indian Army officer (1983–2014)}}
	{{hatnote\|In this [[South Indian]] name, 'Varadarajan' is a [[patronym]], not a [[family name]], and the person should be addressed by the [[given name]], Mukund}}		{{hatnote\|In this [[South Indian]] name, 'Varadarajan' is a [[patronym]], not a [[family name]], and the person should be addressed by the [[given name]], Mukund}}
	{{Use dmy dates\|date=March ~~2022~~}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=March 2019}}
	{{Use British English\|date=May ~~2022~~}}		{{Use British English\|date=May 2014}}
	{{Infobox military person		{{Infobox military person
	\| honorific_prefix = [[Major]]		\| honorific_prefix = [[Major]]
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	\| birth_date = {{birth-date\|12 April 1983}}<ref name=thin2/>		\| birth_date = {{birth-date\|12 April 1983}}<ref name=thin2/>
	\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|df=yes\|2014\|04\|25\|1983\|04\|12}}		\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|df=yes\|2014\|04\|25\|1983\|04\|12}}
	\| birth_place = [[Kozhikode, Kerala]]<ref name=dc>{{cite news\|last1=S. Sujatha\|title=Major Mukund Varadarajan valour went beyond call of duty\|url=http://www.deccanchronicle.com/140815/nation-current-affairs/article/major-mukund%E2%80%99s-valour-went-beyond-call-duty\|access-date=16 August 2014\|work=Deccan Chronicle\|date=15 August ~~2022~~}}</ref>		\| birth_place = [[Kozhikode, Kerala]]<ref name=dc>{{cite news\|last1=S. Sujatha\|title=Major Mukund Varadarajan valour went beyond call of duty\|url=http://www.deccanchronicle.com/140815/nation-current-affairs/article/major-mukund%E2%80%99s-valour-went-beyond-call-duty\|access-date=16 August 2014\|work=Deccan Chronicle\|date=15 August 2014}}</ref>
	\| spouse = Indhu Rebecca Vargehese<ref name="indianexpress.com">{{Cite web\|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/love-my-son-i-am-proud-of-him-i-miss-him/\|title='Love my son… I am proud of him… I miss him'\|date=28 April ~~2022~~}}</ref>		\| spouse = Indhu Rebecca Vargehese<ref name="indianexpress.com">{{Cite web\|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/love-my-son-i-am-proud-of-him-i-miss-him/\|title='Love my son… I am proud of him… I miss him'\|date=28 April 2014}}</ref>
	\| children = 1<ref name="indianexpress.com"/>		\| children = 1<ref name="indianexpress.com"/>
	\| death_place = [[Shopian]] district, [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)\|Jammu and Kashmir]]		\| death_place = [[Shopian]] district, [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)\|Jammu and Kashmir]]
	\| placeofburial = [[Besant Nagar]], [[Chennai]]<ref name=thehindu1>{{cite news\|title=Major Mukund spouse:Indhu Rebecca Varadharajan's final journey\|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/major-mukund-varadharajans-final-journey/article5957128.ece#im-image-6\|access-date=16 August 2014\|work=The Hindu\|date=28 April ~~2022~~}}</ref>		\| placeofburial = [[Besant Nagar]], [[Chennai]]<ref name=thehindu1>{{cite news\|title=Major Mukund spouse:Indhu Rebecca Varadharajan's final journey\|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/major-mukund-varadharajans-final-journey/article5957128.ece#im-image-6\|access-date=16 August 2014\|work=The Hindu\|date=28 April 2014}}</ref>
	\| allegiance = India		\| allegiance = India
	\| branch = [[Indian Army]]		\| branch = [[Indian Army]]
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	==Personal life==		==Personal life==

	Major Mukund Varadarajan <ref name=dc/> was born on 12 April 1983 to R.Varadarajan and Geetha. He lived in [[Chennai]], India and had two sisters Swetha and Nithya. Mukund married his longtime girlfriend Indhu Rebecca Varghese on 28 August 2009 .<ref>{{cite web\|title='India Should See The Man Mukund Was, Not My Sorrow': Martyr's Wife to NDTV\|url=http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/the-buck-stops-here/india-should-see-the-man-mukund-was-not-my-sorrow-martyr-s-wife-to-ndtv/354130\|publisher=NDTV\|access-date=31 January ~~2022~~}}</ref> and have a daughter Ashreya born on 17 March 2011.<ref name=dc/><ref>{{cite news\|title=Major Mukund Varadarajan cremated with full military honours in Chennai\|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Major-Mukund-Varadarajan-cremated-with-full-military-honours-in-Chennai/articleshow/34347210.cms\|access-date=16 August 2014\|work=The Times of India\|date=29 April ~~2022~~}}</ref><ref name=tniex1>{{cite news\|title=Major Worked at BPO Before Realising Childhood Dream\|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/Major-Worked-at-BPO-Before-Realising-Childhood-Dream/2014/04/27/article2191625.ece\|access-date=16 August 2014\|work=The New Indian Express\|date=27 April ~~2022~~}}</ref> He received his [[Bachelor of Commerce]] From [[Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Viswa Mahavidyalaya]] at [[Kanchipuram\|Enathur]] and a diploma in journalism from the [[Madras Christian College]], Tambaram. His grandfather and two of his uncles also served in the army and this motivated Varadarajan to join the Armed forces.<ref name=thin2>{{cite news\|title=Tambaram mourns a braveheart\|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/tambaram-mourns-a-braveheart/article5951633.ece\|access-date=16 August 2014\|work=The Hindu\|date=27 April ~~2022~~}}</ref><ref name=tniex1/> According to his seniors, the officer had a cutting sharp wit and could outwit anyone in the most polite yet strong way. Men from the unit remember how no matter how long or hard Maj.		Major Mukund Varadarajan <ref name=dc/> was born on 12 April 1983 to R.Varadarajan and Geetha. He lived in [[Chennai]], India and had two sisters Swetha and Nithya. Mukund married his longtime girlfriend Indhu Rebecca Varghese on 28 August 2009 .<ref>{{cite web\|title='India Should See The Man Mukund Was, Not My Sorrow': Martyr's Wife to NDTV\|url=http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/the-buck-stops-here/india-should-see-the-man-mukund-was-not-my-sorrow-martyr-s-wife-to-ndtv/354130\|publisher=NDTV\|access-date=31 January 2015}}</ref> and have a daughter Ashreya born on 17 March 2011.<ref name=dc/><ref>{{cite news\|title=Major Mukund Varadarajan cremated with full military honours in Chennai\|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Major-Mukund-Varadarajan-cremated-with-full-military-honours-in-Chennai/articleshow/34347210.cms\|access-date=16 August 2014\|work=The Times of India\|date=29 April 2014}}</ref><ref name=tniex1>{{cite news\|title=Major Worked at BPO Before Realising Childhood Dream\|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/Major-Worked-at-BPO-Before-Realising-Childhood-Dream/2014/04/27/article2191625.ece\|access-date=16 August 2014\|work=The New Indian Express\|date=27 April 2014}}</ref> He received his [[Bachelor of Commerce]] From [[Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Viswa Mahavidyalaya]] at [[Kanchipuram\|Enathur]] and a diploma in journalism from the [[Madras Christian College]], Tambaram. His grandfather and two of his uncles also served in the army and this motivated Varadarajan to join the Armed forces.<ref name=thin2>{{cite news\|title=Tambaram mourns a braveheart\|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/tambaram-mourns-a-braveheart/article5951633.ece\|access-date=16 August 2014\|work=The Hindu\|date=27 April 2014}}</ref><ref name=tniex1/> According to his seniors, the officer had a cutting sharp wit and could outwit anyone in the most polite yet strong way. Men from the unit remember how no matter how long or hard Maj.
	Varadarajan's day had been, he was always up for making others feel special on their birthdays and anniversaries. Personal relationships meant a lot to him according the men and officers of his unit.		Varadarajan's day had been, he was always up for making others feel special on their birthdays and anniversaries. Personal relationships meant a lot to him according the men and officers of his unit.

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	Maj. Varadarajan lobbed a grenade into the outhouse. The blast should have debilitated, if not killed commander. But as the two men stormed the outhouse, a volley of fire came smashing into Vikram. It became clear what had just happened—the grenade had killed one terrorist, but there was another with him. The commander wasn't alone when he fled from the debris of the residence and into the cement outhouse—the second terrorist had fled with him. It was this second terrorist who had been killed by the grenade. Hizbul commander had survived.Several rounds of fire were returned at the terrorist, but he was shielded by a row of logs stacked in the outhouse and was able to fire his weapon from the confined space he was in. Maj. Varadarajan saw his buddy collapse to the ground. Vikram Singh had taken two bullets: one had sliced his neck open, while the other had penetrated his jaw. A gunshot through the neck usually spells certain death. Maj. Varadarajan knew he was about to lose one of the most courageous and dependable soldiers in his team. He knew that not only was his buddy through with this fight, his life too was about to end. As in all encounters, there was not a moment for emotion or mourning. Without pausing for a moment, Maj. Varadarajan lunged forward with his AK-47 and sprayed bullets at Altaf Wani, killing him instantly. In those final seconds, some of the militant's shots hit Maj. Varadarajan. ‘He walked out of the outhouse. He looked okay. We thought he was fine,’		Maj. Varadarajan lobbed a grenade into the outhouse. The blast should have debilitated, if not killed commander. But as the two men stormed the outhouse, a volley of fire came smashing into Vikram. It became clear what had just happened—the grenade had killed one terrorist, but there was another with him. The commander wasn't alone when he fled from the debris of the residence and into the cement outhouse—the second terrorist had fled with him. It was this second terrorist who had been killed by the grenade. Hizbul commander had survived.Several rounds of fire were returned at the terrorist, but he was shielded by a row of logs stacked in the outhouse and was able to fire his weapon from the confined space he was in. Maj. Varadarajan saw his buddy collapse to the ground. Vikram Singh had taken two bullets: one had sliced his neck open, while the other had penetrated his jaw. A gunshot through the neck usually spells certain death. Maj. Varadarajan knew he was about to lose one of the most courageous and dependable soldiers in his team. He knew that not only was his buddy through with this fight, his life too was about to end. As in all encounters, there was not a moment for emotion or mourning. Without pausing for a moment, Maj. Varadarajan lunged forward with his AK-47 and sprayed bullets at Altaf Wani, killing him instantly. In those final seconds, some of the militant's shots hit Maj. Varadarajan. ‘He walked out of the outhouse. He looked okay. We thought he was fine,’
	recalls an officer in the cordon outside the house. ‘But then he suddenly collapsed.’Nothing about his demeanour betrayed that he had three gunshot wounds and was losing copious amounts of blood from all Then Maj. Varadarajan lost consciousness. Owing to the fact that he was gravely injured during the assault he succumbed to his injuries while being evacuated.<ref name=stratpost>{{cite web\|title=For Gallantry\|date=14 August 2014\|url=http://www.stratpost.com/for-gallantry\|access-date=16 August ~~2022~~}}</ref><ref>{{cite news\|title=Major Mukund Varadarajan Awarded Ashok Chakra, the Highest Gallantry Award\|url=http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/major-mukund-varadarajan-awarded-ashok-chakra-the-highest-gallantry-award-576105\|access-date=16 August 2014\|publisher=NDTV\|date=14 August ~~2022~~}}</ref><ref>{{cite news\|title=Independence Day Gallantry Awards and Other Decorations\|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=108722\|access-date=16 August 2014\|publisher=PIB\|date=14 August ~~2022~~}}</ref>		recalls an officer in the cordon outside the house. ‘But then he suddenly collapsed.’Nothing about his demeanour betrayed that he had three gunshot wounds and was losing copious amounts of blood from all Then Maj. Varadarajan lost consciousness. Owing to the fact that he was gravely injured during the assault he succumbed to his injuries while being evacuated.<ref name=stratpost>{{cite web\|title=For Gallantry\|date=14 August 2014\|url=http://www.stratpost.com/for-gallantry\|access-date=16 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news\|title=Major Mukund Varadarajan Awarded Ashok Chakra, the Highest Gallantry Award\|url=http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/major-mukund-varadarajan-awarded-ashok-chakra-the-highest-gallantry-award-576105\|access-date=16 August 2014\|publisher=NDTV\|date=14 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news\|title=Independence Day Gallantry Awards and Other Decorations\|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=108722\|access-date=16 August 2014\|publisher=PIB\|date=14 August 2014}}</ref>

	For his brave actions during the operation, he was posthumously awarded the [[Ashok Chakra Award\|Ashok Chakra]], India's highest peacetime gallantry award in 2014, ''for displaying valor beyond the call of duty''.<ref name=stratpost/> The citation by the [[Government of India]] during the declaration of the Ashok Chakra read:<ref name=dc/>		For his brave actions during the operation, he was posthumously awarded the [[Ashok Chakra Award\|Ashok Chakra]], India's highest peacetime gallantry award in 2014, ''for displaying valor beyond the call of duty''.<ref name=stratpost/> The citation by the [[Government of India]] during the declaration of the Ashok Chakra read:<ref name=dc/>

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cleanup, typo(s) fixed: June 1, 2015 → June 1, 2015,, wasn’t → wasn't, ’s → 's

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{{Short description|Indian Army officer (1983–2014)}}
{{hatnote|In this [[South Indian]] name, 'Varadarajan' is a [[patronym]], not a [[family name]], and the person should be addressed by the [[given name]], Mukund}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2014}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = [[Major]]
| name = Mukund Varadarajan
| honorific_suffix = [[Ashoka Chakra Award|AC]]
| birth_name =
| image = Mukund Varadarajan.jpg
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth-date|12 April 1983}}<ref name=thin2/>
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2014|04|25|1983|04|12}}
| birth_place = [[Kozhikode, Kerala]]<ref name=dc>{{cite news|last1=S. Sujatha|title=Major Mukund Varadarajan valour went beyond call of duty|url=http://www.deccanchronicle.com/140815/nation-current-affairs/article/major-mukund%E2%80%99s-valour-went-beyond-call-duty|access-date=16 August 2014|work=Deccan Chronicle|date=15 August 2014}}</ref>
| spouse = Indhu Rebecca Vargehese<ref name="indianexpress.com">http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/love-my-son-i-am-proud-of-him-i-miss-him/</ref>
| children = 1<ref name="indianexpress.com"/>
| death_place = [[Shopian]] district, [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]]
| placeofburial = [[Besant Nagar]], [[Chennai]]<ref name=thehindu1>{{cite news|title=Major Mukund spouse:Indhu Rebecca Varadharajan's final journey|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/major-mukund-varadharajans-final-journey/article5957128.ece#im-image-6|access-date=16 August 2014|work=The Hindu|date=28 April 2014}}</ref>
| allegiance = India
| branch = [[Indian Army]]
| serviceyears = 2006 - 2014
| rank = [[Major]]
| unit = 22 [[Rajput Regiment|Rajput]]<br />44 [[Rashtriya Rifles]]
| awards = [[Ashok Chakra Award|Ashoka Chakra]] (posthumous)
}}

[[Major]] '''Mukund Varadarajan''' [[Ashok Chakra Award|AC]] (12 April 1983 – 25 April 2014) was an officer in the [[Rajput Regiment]] of the [[Indian Army]]. In 2014, he was posthumously awarded the [[Ashok Chakra Award|Ashok Chakra]], India's highest peacetime gallantry award, for killing three terrorists in an encounter at the [[Shopian]] district of [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]].

==Personal life==

Major Mukund Varadarajan <ref name=dc/> was born on 12 April 1983 to R.Varadarajan and Geetha. He lived in [[Chennai]], India and had two sisters Swetha and Nithya. Mukund married his longtime girlfriend Indhu Rebecca Varghese on 28 August 2009 .<ref>{{cite web|title='India Should See The Man Mukund Was, Not My Sorrow': Martyr's Wife to NDTV|url=http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/the-buck-stops-here/india-should-see-the-man-mukund-was-not-my-sorrow-martyr-s-wife-to-ndtv/354130|publisher=NDTV|access-date=31 January 2015}}</ref> and have a daughter Ashreya born on 17 March 2011.<ref name=dc/><ref>{{cite news|title=Major Mukund Varadarajan cremated with full military honours in Chennai|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Major-Mukund-Varadarajan-cremated-with-full-military-honours-in-Chennai/articleshow/34347210.cms|access-date=16 August 2014|work=The Times of India|date=29 April 2014}}</ref><ref name=tniex1>{{cite news|title=Major Worked at BPO Before Realising Childhood Dream|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/Major-Worked-at-BPO-Before-Realising-Childhood-Dream/2014/04/27/article2191625.ece|access-date=16 August 2014|work=The New Indian Express|date=27 April 2014}}</ref> He received his [[Bachelor of Commerce]] From [[Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Viswa Mahavidyalaya]] at [[Kanchipuram|Enathur]] and a diploma in journalism from the [[Madras Christian College]], Tambaram. His grandfather and two of his uncles also served in the army and this motivated Varadarajan to join the Armed forces.<ref name=thin2>{{cite news|title=Tambaram mourns a braveheart|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/tambaram-mourns-a-braveheart/article5951633.ece|access-date=16 August 2014|work=The Hindu|date=27 April 2014}}</ref><ref name=tniex1/> According to his seniors, the officer had a cutting sharp wit and could outwit anyone in the most polite yet strong way. Men from the unit remember how no matter how long or hard Maj.
Varadarajan's day had been, he was always up for making others feel special on their birthdays and anniversaries. Personal relationships meant a lot to him according the men and officers of his unit.

==Army service==

Mukund was an alumnus of [[Officers Training Academy]],<ref name=dc/> and after graduating, he received a short-service commission as a [[Lieutenant]] in the [[Rajput Regiment]] (22 Rajput) on 18 March 2006.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=625 |date=21 April 2007|url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2007/W_16_2011_060.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> On 18 March 2011, he was granted a regular commission with the rank of lieutenant,<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1101 |date=11 June 2011|url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2011/W_24_2011_088.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> and received an ante-dated promotion to captain from 18 October 2008.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1622 |date=3 September 2011|url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2011/W_36_2011_098.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> He served at the Infantry School in [[Mhow]], [[Madhya Pradesh]] and was part of a [[Indian Army United Nations peacekeeping missions|United Nations Mission]] in [[Lebanon]].<ref name=thin2/> Promoted major on 18 October 2012,<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1058 |date=13 July 2013|url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2013/W_28_2013_322.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> Mukund was deputed to the 44th Battalion of the [[Rashtriya Rifles]] that December and posted in the [[Shupiyan|Shupiyan district]] of [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]].<ref name=tniex1/>

== Martyrdom ==
[[File:Major mukund ceremony.JPG|thumb|Major Mukund Varadarajan's funeral.]]
[[File:Pranab Mukherjee giving away the highest gallantry award Ashok Chakra to Major Mukund Varadarajan 44th Battalion Rashtriya RiflesThe Rajput Regiment (Posthumous), the award received by his wife.jpg|right|thumb|Mukund Varadarajan's wife receives the Ashok Chakra from president Pranab Mukherjee on 26 January 2015.]]
On 25 April 2014, he led an anti-terrorist cordon and search operation based on intelligence inputs to clear a village in South Kashmir of terrorists. During the operation, his team came under heavy fire. The officer responded swiftly, aware of the setting of darkness which could provide an unprecedented advantage and an opportunity to slip away. Since the exact number of civilians present in the house where unknown to him and his men hence, the use of heavy-calibre weapons were beyond the scope of use. He with his buddy Sepoy Vikram Singh crawled through the orchard in front of the house with a hail of bullets crossings from the two ends over their heads. Having crossed the orchard the buddy pair charged into the house where they were met instantly with intense firing from the terrorist. His forearm was grazed by a bullet. In a quick reaction they changed the settings of their assault rifles and retaliated with a heavy fire killing one of the three terrorists then and there. Maj. Varadarajan knew how the local commander looked like and the dead man wasn't home. The remaining two terrorists including Hizbul Mujahideen top commander charged with grenade explosions and tried to escape from the scene of action. Acting just in time the two men dived to the ground,saving themselves from the shrapnel. In these quick series of events, Maj. Varadarajan saw the face of fleeing militants and recognised in no time one of them as the top commander he was out for hunting, he also saw them making their way to the outhouse next to the building.

Maj. Varadarajan lobbed a grenade into the outhouse. The blast should have debilitated, if not killed commander. But as the two men stormed the outhouse, a volley of fire came smashing into Vikram. It became clear what had just happened—the grenade had killed one terrorist, but there was another with him. The commander wasn't alone when he fled from the debris of the residence and into the cement outhouse—the second terrorist had fled with him. It was this second terrorist who had been killed by the grenade. Hizbul commander had survived.Several rounds of fire were returned at the terrorist, but he was shielded by a row of logs stacked in the outhouse and was able to fire his weapon from the confined space he was in. Maj. Varadarajan saw his buddy collapse to the ground. Vikram Singh had taken two bullets: one had sliced his neck open, while the other had penetrated his jaw. A gunshot through the neck usually spells certain death. Maj. Varadarajan knew he was about to lose one of the most courageous and dependable soldiers in his team. He knew that not only was his buddy through with this fight, his life too was about to end. As in all encounters, there was not a moment for emotion or mourning. Without pausing for a moment, Maj. Varadarajan lunged forward with his AK-47 and sprayed bullets at Altaf Wani, killing him instantly. In those final seconds, some of the militant's shots hit Maj. Varadarajan. ‘He walked out of the outhouse. He looked okay. We thought he was fine,’
recalls an officer in the cordon outside the house. ‘But then he suddenly collapsed.’Nothing about his demeanour betrayed that he had three gunshot wounds and was losing copious amounts of blood from all Then Maj. Varadarajan lost consciousness. Owing to the fact that he was gravely injured during the assault he succumbed to his injuries while being evacuated.<ref name=stratpost>{{cite web|title=For Gallantry|url=http://www.stratpost.com/for-gallantry|access-date=16 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Major Mukund Varadarajan Awarded Ashok Chakra, the Highest Gallantry Award|url=http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/major-mukund-varadarajan-awarded-ashok-chakra-the-highest-gallantry-award-576105|access-date=16 August 2014|publisher=NDTV|date=14 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Independence Day Gallantry Awards and Other Decorations|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=108722|access-date=16 August 2014|publisher=PIB|date=14 August 2014}}</ref>

For his brave actions during the operation, he was posthumously awarded the [[Ashok Chakra Award|Ashok Chakra]], India's highest peacetime gallantry award in 2014, ''for displaying valor beyond the call of duty''.<ref name=stratpost/> The citation by the [[Government of India]] during the declaration of the Ashok Chakra read:<ref name=dc/>

<blockquote>During the operation, before attaining martyrdom, Major Mukund displayed exemplary leadership skills, raw courage, planning and swift action, which culminated in the elimination of the three top ranked Hizbul Mujaheddin terrorists.</blockquote>

Mukund is the fourth recipient of the Ashoka Chakra from the state of [[Tamil Nadu]].

On June 1, 2015, a bust of Major Mukund Varadarajan was unveiled in honor of his patriotism and sacrifice.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oneindia.com/india/daredevil-late-major-mukund-varadarajan-s-bust-unveiled-at-ota-1764270.html|title=Bust in memory of Major Mukund; Capt Kalia a forgotten hero|last=Desk|first=OneIndia Defence|date=2015-06-01|website=Oneindia|language=en|access-date=2020-02-17}}</ref> It is displayed at the [[Officers Training Academy]].

==References==

{{reflist}}

{{Ashoka Chakra award recipients}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Varadarajan, Mukund}}
[[Category:1983 births]]
[[Category:2014 deaths]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Ashoka Chakra (military decoration)]]
[[Category:Indian Army personnel]]
[[Category:People from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Madras Christian College alumni]]
[[Category:Ashoka Chakra]]