Major Mukund Varadarajan: The Real 'Amaran' And His Brave Mission (Image-Facebook/Major Mukund Varadarajan)

This Diwali was made special with the release of the film Amaran, starring Sivakarthikeyan and Sai Pallavi and directed by Rajkumar Periasamy, which celebrates the real hero of the nation, Major Mukund Varadarajan. The inspirational biopic features the courageous mission of Major Mukund of the Indian Army unit, 44 Rashtriya Rifles. The film pays tribute to the Ashoka Chakra recipient and follows the story of Major Mukund and his valour, courage, and unwavering service towards the country.

Varadarajan, 31, was killed in heavy firing by terrorists hiding in a village in Shopian. However, he managed to kill three terrorists before dying. He was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra for showing “exemplary leadership skills, raw courage, and swift action.”

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Who is Major Mukund Varadarajan?

Born on April 12, 1983, in Tambaram, Tamil Nadu, to parents R Varadarajan and Geetha, Major Mukund Varadarajan had two sisters, Nitya and Swetha. Excelling in his academics, he earned his Bachelor of Commerce from Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Viswa Mahavidyalaya and a diploma in journalism from Madras Christian College.

Mukund married his long-time girlfriend Indhu Rebecca Varghese in 2009, and the couple welcomed their daughter Arshea Mukund in 2011.

Major Mukund with his family (Image-Facebook/Major Mukund Varadarajan).

Major Mukund’s Service in the Indian Army

Mukund’s family, which shared deeper roots in the Indian Army with his grandfather and two uncles who served in the military, eventually inspired him to join the Army and fight for his nation. 

On March 18, 2006, after graduating from the Officers Training Academy, an institution that trains officers for the Short Service Commission (SSC), he became a Lieutenant in one of the oldest Indian regiments, the Rajput Regiment, and was promoted to a Captain just seven months later.

He was part of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon and was promoted to the rank of Major on October 18, 2012. He was then transferred to the 44th Battalion of the Rashtriya Rifles, a counter-terrorism force, and was posted in Jammu and Kashmir during heightened India-Pakistan tensions.

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Major Mukund in his early days in the Indian Army (Image-Facebook/Major Mukund Varadarajan).

Major Mukund’s Mission

On April 25, 2014, just two weeks after his 31st birthday, Major Mukund led a team in south Kashmir, based on an intelligence report regarding the presence of militants in a civilian household.

Along with Sepoy Vikram Singh, the team successfully made it to the house, escaping gunfire. On the mission, a militant was killed, and the team marched forward toward their target, senior commander of Hizbul Mujahideen Altaf Wani.

The team approached the cement outhouse where Wani and another militant were hiding and managed to kill the latter with a grenade. As the mission progressed, Wani fired at Singh, injuring his neck and jaw. In response, Major Mukund shot and killed the senior commander Wani.

After completion of the mission, Major Mukund collapsed outside the outhouse, as he incurred three gunshot wounds. The Major succumbed to injuries on his way to the army hospital.

Major Mukund’s body being brough home (Image-Facebook/Major Mukund Varadarajan).

Honored With The Ashoka Chakra Award

Honouring his service to the nation, Major Mukund was given the nation’s highest peacetime gallantry award, the Ashoka Chakra, while Singh was awarded the Shaurya Chakra, India’s third highest peacetime gallantry award.

Major Mukund’s  wife, Indhu, received the honour on his behalf from President Pranab Mukherjee on Republic Day in 2015. He was the fourth person from Tamil Nadu to be awarded the Ashoka Chakra.

Major Mukund’s wife, Indhu, accepted the award on his behalf from President Pranab Mukherjee on Republic Day in 2015 (Image-Facebook/Major Mukund Varadarajan).