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{{short description|Indian Navy officer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{more footnotes|date=May 2012}}
{{Infobox military person
|honorific_prefix = [[Captain (naval)|Captain]]
| name = M N Mulla
| honorific_suffix = [[Maha Vir Chakra|MVC]]
| image = Mahendra Nath Mulla 2000 stamp of India.jpg
| caption = Mulla on a 2000 stamp of India
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1926|5|15}}
| birth_place = [[Gorakhpur]], [[United Provinces of British India|United Provinces]], [[British Raj|British India]]<br>{{small|(Present-day [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[India]])}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1971|12|9|1926|6|15}}
| death_place = [[Arabian Sea]], near [[Diu Head|Diu]], [[Gujarat]], [[India]]
| allegiance= {{flag|India}}
| branch= {{flagicon image|Naval Ensign of India.svg}} [[Indian Navy]]
| rank= [[File:10-Indian_Navy-CAPT.svg|20px]] [[Captain (Indian Navy)|Captain]]
| commands= {{INS|Khukri|F149|6}}
| serviceyears= 1948–1971
| battles= [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]
| awards= [[Maha Vir Chakra]] (posthumous)
}}

[[Captain (Indian Navy)|Captain]] '''Mahendra Nath Mulla''', [[Maha Vir Chakra|MVC]] (15 May 1926 – 9 December 1971) was an officer of the [[Indian Navy]]. As the [[Commanding Officer]] of {{INS|Khukri|F149|6}}, he chose to go [[The captain goes down with the ship|down with his ship]] when his ship was sunk during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]].

==Early life==
Mulla was born on 15 May 1926 in a [[Kashmiris|Kashmiri]] family in [[Gorakhpur]], [[Uttar Pradesh]] to T. N. Mulla in a family well-known in [[Allahabad]] judicial circles.<ref name="PIB 1971">{{cite web |title=Captain MN Mulla, Indian Navy |url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1971-SEPT-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1971-12-18_343.pdf |website=pibarchive.nic.in |date=18 December 1971}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Sinking Of INS Khukri |url=http://mangalorean.com/browsearticles.php?arttype=Feature&articleid=941 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307210901/http://mangalorean.com/browsearticles.php?arttype=Feature&articleid=941 |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 March 2016 |website=Mangalorean.com |author=Ramesh Lalwani |date=2 March 2007 |accessdate=3 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Cardozo |first1=Major General Ian |title=The Sinking of INS Khukri: Survivor's Stories |date=December 2006 |publisher=Roli Books Private Limited |isbn=978-93-5194-099-9 |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/The_Sinking_of_INS_Khukri/xvs_CgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Mahendra+Nath+Mulla+kashmiri&pg=PT104&printsec=frontcover |language=en}}</ref> He joined the [[Royal Indian Navy]] as a cadet in January 1946 and underwent training in the [[United Kingdom]].<ref name="PIB 1971" />

==Military career==
Mulla was commissioned in the [[Royal Indian Navy]] on 1 May 1948.{{Citation needed|date=May 2012}} He was promoted to [[Lieutenant Commander]] on 16 September 1958. In April 1961, he was selected to attend the [[Defence Services Staff College]], [[Wellington Cantonment|Wellington]].<ref>{{cite web |title=NAVAL OFFICERS SELECTED FOR STAFF COURSE |url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1961-JAN-DEC-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1961-04-29_206.pdf |website=pibarchive.nic.in |date=29 April 1961}}</ref> He was promoted to the rank of [[Commander]] on 30 June 1964.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch) |page=137 |date=6 June 1959 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch) |page=373 |date=12 September 1964 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> He served on the [[Hunt-class destroyer]] {{ship|INS|Gomati|D93}} and the [[Bathurst-class corvette|Bathurst-class]] [[Minesweeper]] {{ship|HMIS|Madras|J237}}. He also served as the [[executive officer]] of the [[Black Swan-class sloop]] {{ship|HMIS|Kistna|U46}} and commanded the [[Q and R-class destroyer|R-class destroyer]] {{ship|INS|Rana|D115}}.<ref name="PIB 1971" />

He served as the [[Military attaché|Deputy Naval Adviser]] to the [[List of High Commissioners of India to the United Kingdom|High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom]] from 1965 to 1967.<ref name="PIB 1971" />

==Indo-Pakistani War of 1971==
During the 1971 War, Mulla was commanding the 14th anti submarine squadron, a task force which formed part of the [[Western Fleet (India)|Western Fleet]]. The squadron consisted of the {{ship|INS|Khukri|F149}}, {{ship|INS|Kirpan|F144}} and {{ship|INS|Kuthar|F146}}.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hiranandani |first1=GM |title=Transition to triumph : history of the Indian Navy, 1965-1975 |year=2000 |publisher=Director Personnel Services (DPS) |isbn=978-1897829691}}</ref> The squadron was assigned the task of hunting and destroying enemy submarines in the North Arabian Sea. At 2050 hours on 9 December 1971, his vessel, INS ''Khukri'', was hit by a torpedo fired by an enemy submarine, {{ship|PNS| Hangor|S131|6}}, about {{convert|64|km|mi}} off [[Diu, India|Diu]]. He issued orders for the ship to be abandoned because it was sinking.<ref>{{cite web|title=Never Forget Our Martyrs|url=https://www.pressreader.com/india/hindustan-times-st-jaipur-hindustan-times-jaipur-city/20140130/281573763572577|website=Press Reader|accessdate=30 May 2018|date=30 January 2014}}</ref> He chose to go down with the ship in the highest traditions of the Indian Navy. Mulla was decorated with the [[Maha Vir Chakra]], the second-highest gallantry award.

The citation for the [[Maha Vir Chakra]] reads as follows:<ref>{{cite web |title=MN MULLA {{!}} Gallantry Awards |url=https://gallantryawards.gov.in/Awardee/mn-mulla |website=gallantryawards.gov.in}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Mahavir Chakra (MVC), Awardee: Capt Mahendra Nath Mulla, MVC @ TWDI |url=http://twdi.in/node/1427 |website=twdi.in}}</ref>
{{Quotation|Gazette Notification: 18 Pres/72,12-2-72
Operation: 1971
Date of Award: 09 Dec 1971

{{center|'''CITATION'''<br>
'''CAPTAIN MAHENDRA NATH MULLA'''}}

Two ships of the Indian Navy under the command of Captain Mahendra Nath Mulla, Senior Officer of a Frigate Squadron were assigned the task of locating and destroying a Pakistan Submarine in the North Arabian Sea. During these operations on the night of 9th December, 1971, in ship KHUKRI was hit by torpedoes fired by an enemy submarine and sank. Having decided to abandon ship, Captain Mulla without regard to his own personal safety supervised the arrangements for the rescue of his ship’s company in a very cool, calm and methodical manner. Even at a later stage whilst the ship was sinking, Captain Mulla showed presence of mind and continued to direct rescue operations and refused to save himself by giving his own life saving gear to a sailor. Having directed as many of his men as possible to leave the ship, Captain Mulla went back to the bridge to see what further rescue operations could he performed. In doing so, Captain Mulla was last seen going down with his ship. His action and behavior and the example he set, has been in keeping with the highest traditions of the service. Captain Mahendra Nath Mulla has displayed conspicuous gallantry and dedication.|sign=|source=}}

==Legacy==
[[File:Capt. Mahendra Nath Mulla.jpg|thumbnail|Bust of Mulla in Mumbai]]
Mulla was regarded among the finest seamen in the Navy and highly-intelligent officer.<ref name="PIB 1971" /> On 28 January 2000, the [[Prime Minister of India]] [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]] released a [[List of postage stamps of India (2000–04)|commemorative postage stamp]] issued by [[India Post]] paying tribute to Mulla.<ref>{{cite web |title=PRIME MiNISTER RELEASES COMMEMORATIVE POSTAGE STAMPS ON GALLANTRY AWARDS WINNERS |url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/COMMUNICATION/2000-JAN-JUNE-COMUNICATIONS/COM-2000-01-28_027.pdf |website=pibarchive.nic.in |date=28 January 2000}}</ref>

A memorial for the tribute to Mulla and other martyred sailors exists at Diu {{coord|20|42|10|N|70|58|37|E}}. The memorial constitutes a full-scale model of INS ''Khukri'' encased in a glass house, placed on a hillock facing the sea. The Captain M. N. Mulla Auditorium, at [[Navy Nagar]], [[Colaba]] in [[Mumbai]], is named after him. A bust of Capt. Mulla stands in the foyer. The then [[Chief of the Naval Staff (India)|Chief of the Naval Staff]] [[Admiral (India)|Admiral]] [[Madhvendra Singh]] inaugurated the auditorium.<ref>{{cite web |title=A hero for generations of Indian navy - Captain Mahendra Nath Mulla |url=https://www.aviation-defence-universe.com/a-hero-for-generations-of-indian-navy/ |website=www.aviation-defence-universe.com|date=14 August 2021 }}</ref>

In Selection Centre South (SCS), [[Bangalore|Banglore]], there is a hall named Capt.([[Indian Navy|IN]]) MN Mulla Hall after Capt. MN Mulla, [[Maha Vir Chakra|MVC]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 December 2017 |title=Indian Navy Spokeperson Tweet |work=Twitter |url=https://twitter.com/indiannavy/status/942731284090011649?lang=en}}</ref>

An auditorium at the DSSC Wellington is also named after him.{{cn|date=April 2021}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite web |last1=Wattal |first1=Ameeta Mulla |date=6 July 2018 |title=INS Khukri: Why My Father, Chose To Go Down With The Ship |work=Salute |url=https://salute.co.in/ins-khukri-why-they-chose-to-go-down-with-the-ship/}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Mahendra Nath Mulla}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070706154459/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/1971/Dec09/Art02.htm Bharat Rakshak]
* [http://www.indiadefence.com/khukri.htm] India Defence
* {{webarchive |date=30 November 2012 |url=https://archive.today/20121130032242/http://mod.nic.in/samachar/june15-03/html/ch15.htm}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090304070453/http://orbat.com/site/history/current_week_open/KHUKRI.pdf] Orbat
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160307210901/http://mangalorean.com/browsearticles.php?arttype=Feature&articleid=941 Magalorean]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071104141844/http://prideofindia.net/75.html PrideofIndia]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mulla, Mahendra Nath Captain}}
[[Category:Indian military personnel killed in action]]
[[Category:Indian Navy officers]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Maha Vir Chakra]]
[[Category:People of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]
[[Category:1926 births]]
[[Category:1971 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian military personnel of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]
[[Category:Captains who went down with the ship]]
[[Category:Royal Indian Navy officers]]

Mahendra Nath Mulla - Revision history

Bot at 00:51, 15 December 2022