Vivek Chadha

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Col Vivek Chadha (Retd), served in the Indian Army for 22 years prior to taking premature retirement to pursue research. He joined the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses in November 2011 and is a Senior Fellow at the Military Affairs Centre.

Colonel Chadha’s areas of research include counter terrorism and military studies. His single author books on counter terrorism include Low Intensity Conflicts in India: An Analysis; Lifeblood of Terrorism: Countering Terrorism Finance and Company Commander in Low Intensity Conflicts. His single author books on military subjects include, Even if Ain’t Broke Yet, Do Fix It: Enhancing Effectiveness Through Military Change; Kargil: Past Perfect: Future Uncertain; CDS and Beyond: Integration of the Indian Armed Forces. He has also written the book, Indo-US Relations: From Divergence to Convergence.

His current area of research focusses on the strategic lessons of the Mahabharata.

He was part of the team that wrote the Indian Army’s first Sub Conventional Doctrine in 2006.

Col Chadha is on the Editorial Committee of the Journal of Defence Studies.


Senior Fellow

Publication

When Counterinsurgency Wins: Sri Lanka’s Defeat of the Tamil Tigers by Ahmed S. Hashim

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)-led insurgency in Sri Lanka was amongst the fiercest and most bloody low-intensity conflicts fought during the last two decades of the 20th century and first decade of the 21st century. This ethnic conflict became known for not only the fighting prowess and ruthlessness of the LTTE, but also the equally brutal manner in which it was finally ended by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA).

Maoist Insurgency and India’s Internal Security Architecture by E.N. Rammohan, Brigadier Amrit Pal Singh and Gp. Capt. A.K. Agarwal

The Maoist insurgency and the internal security response, which in part flows from India’s security architecture, have become increasingly relevant in the recent past. The Maoist threat has repeatedly been referred to as the gravest internal challenge to India’s security. The impact of this threat, along with terrorism in the hinterland, has exposed the inadequacies of the country’s internal security capacities. Therefore, a book dealing with the two is a timely addition to the literature, in the Indian context.

Macchil Verdict: Reading Between the Lines

The incident raises important issues. First, the role of honours and awards in such crimes, second, the impact of punishment on the morale of troops who undertake a challenging responsibility and last, its impact on the population of the disturbed area at large.

Fighting Back: What Governments Can Do about Terrorism, edited by Paul Shemella

The scourge of terrorism is not new. However, its relevance andprominence in public discourse has seen a marked rise after 9/11. Whilea lot of writings concentrated on the immediate aftermath of the 9/11attack and terrorism as linked with Al Qaeda, it also spurred efforts tolook beyond this obvious threat into the larger transnational threat posedto the civilized world.

Terrorism Finance: Sources and Trends in India

Terrorism finance (TF) has been termed as the life blood of terrorism, one of the most important factors sustaining its continuing threat, both from within and without. In the West, a large body of work on the subject appeared after 9/11; in the Indian context, however, there is little contribution towards existing literature. This article contextualizes the reality of terrorism finance in India and provides an alternative framework for a better understanding of this threat.

Is It Time to Withdraw the Army from Kashmir?

2013 witnessed the highest ceasefire violations in eight years, accompanied by a sharp increase in security force casualties. Some sections within the media and intelligentsia have misunderstood the army’s presence in disturbed areas as a reflection of its vested interests. It is time that the reality of its role and responsibility are better understood.