Vappala Balachandran

Vappala Balachandran is an Indian national security intelligence specialist and a former Indian police officer[1] who served 17 years in the state of Maharashtra, India and 19 years in foreign intelligence service.[2] He retired as Special Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India in 1995[3] and is based in Mumbai.[4][5]

Vappala Balachandran
National security and intelligence specialist, former police officer
In office
1976 – 1995 as Special Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India
Personal details
Born(1937-06-15)15 June 1937
Yangon, Myanmar
NationalityIndian
RelationsV.P. Menon

He has authored 3 books, two on security and one on the life of a forgotten Europe based freedom fighter who was a close friend of Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose: (1) National Security & Intelligence Management-A New Paradigm in 2016 (2) A life in Shadow- the secret story of A.C.N.Nambiar-a forgotten anti-colonial Warrior (2017) and (3) Keeping India Safe- the Dilemma of Internal Security (2017). Shri M.J.Akbar, presently Minister of State in our External Affairs Ministry had written the preface for National Security & Intelligence Management when he was Editor, Sunday Guardian.[6][7][8]

On 7 September 2017 he addressed a gathering at National Press Club, Washington DC on his new book Keeping India Safe- the Dilemma of Internal Security(Harper Collins). Earlier on 5 September he gave a presentation of this book to the India Office of the US State Department on their invitation. Early in November 2017 he delivered 3 lectures at 3 leading Singapore Universities (1) Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (2) Singapore Management University and (3) S.Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

Balachandran has also published 600 columns on security and strategic subjects in Indian and foreign publications.[9][7][10]


Early life

Balachandran originally hails from the state of Kerala, Southern India. His father, K.P. Kutti Krishna Menon, was an officer in the Myanmar government and he lived in Yangon till 1940. During the War, his father stayed back in Myanmar to serve the government.[11]

Balachandran is the grand nephew of the late V.P. Menon of "Vappala" Theravad, Ottapalam, Kerala.

Achievements

In 1993 and 1994,Vappala Balachandran led the Indian interagency groups for annual dialogue with U.S agencies on terrorism.[12][13][14]

Between 2007 and 2009 he wrote several papers for the Henry L. Stimson Center, Washington, D.C. for their "Regional Voices" project. His paper "Insurgency, terrorism, and transnational trends" was included as Chapter 6 in their publication Transnational Trends.[15] Balachandran was a member of the two-man "High Level Committee" appointed by the Government of Maharashtra to inquire into the police response during the Mumbai 26 November 2008 terror attacks.[16][17]

In November 2009 he was invited by the Governor of Hawaii to be the key note speaker at the 2009 Asia Pacific Homeland Security Summit at Honolulu and address senior police officials in Singapore on urban security and terrorism.[18][19] Balachandran spoke at the Pluscarden Programme conference on "The Future of International Cooperation in Countering Violent Extremism" at St Antony's College, Oxford University in October 2010 and in 2013 on "India’s Politics of Free Expression-A Law & Order perspective" under the "Marchioness of Winchester Lectures 2013".[20] The interview was aired by the BBC radio along with three other participants.[21]

Vappala Balachandran is also an active columnist who writes for The Sunday Guardian and The Asian Age newspapers.[22][23]

Awards

In 1975, Balachandran was awarded the Indian Police Medal for meritorious service and in 1986, The President's Police medal for meritorious service.

Career

1961-1965: Assistant Superintendent of Police, Nashik

1965-1969: Superintendent of Police, Sangli district

1969-1972: Superintendent of Police, Yeotmal district

1972-1973: Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zones-Law & order), Bombay city

1973-1976: Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Branch, C.I.D), Bombay city

1976: Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India[24][25]

June 1995: Retired as Special Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India[26]

Books

National Security and Intelligence Management-A New Paradigm was released in March 2014.[27] [28][29]

Keeping India Safe: The Dilemma of Internal Security"Keeping India Safe: The Dilemma of Internal Security" (PDF). The Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. Retrieved 2 February 2019.

References
  1. Despatch & Courier, Afternoon. "Vajpayee in Paris". Afternoon. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  2. Age, Asian. "Spies, lies and old files". The Asian Age. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  3. Balachandran, Vappala (31 January 2019). "Lid off the Afghan War". The Tribune. India. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  4. Age, Asian. "Six years after 26/11". Asianage.com. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  5. Guardian, The Sunday. "Police need to adopt scientific probe methods". Sunday-Guardian.com. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  6. Express, Indian. "State of the Union". Indianexpress.com. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
  7. Mukherji, Saradindu (8 April 2017). "Behind the Spotlight". The Hindu. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  8. Wire, The. "Uncovering the remarkable life of ACN Nambiar". Thewire.in. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
  9. Express, Indian. "State of the Union". Indianexpress.com. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
  10. Wire, The. "Uncovering the remarkable life of ACN Nambiar". Thewire.in. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
  11. British, Broadcasting Corporation (17 February 2011). "The Burma Campaign". B.B.C. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  12. Balachandran, V. (18 November 2014). "Who caused fall of Wall?". The Asian Age. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  13. Age, Asian. "Spies, lies and old files". The Asian Age. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  14. Times, News Network (13 March 2014). "Charting 3 decades of terror intelligence coordination failure". The Times of India. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  15. "Security Threats & Instability". The Stimson Center. 18 November 2009. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  16. "Lessons from Mumbai?". The Hindu. 15 June 2009. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  17. Mirror, Pune. "Cops to get major weapon upgrade". Pune Mirror. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  18. "7th Annual Asia-Pacific Homeland Security Summit Begins". The Hawaii Reporter.
  19. Mirror, Pune. "Cops to get major weapon upgrade". Pune Mirror. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  20. Balachandran, Vappala (11 October 2010). "Dealing with the aftermath of attacks" (PDF). St Antony's College, Oxford. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  21. "China Growth, Free Speech in India, Disability and the Arts". BBC. 22 June 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  22. Guardian, The Sunday. "Police & State". The Sunday Guardian. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  23. Age, The Asian. "Columnists". The Asian Age. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  24. Age, Asian. "Six years after 26/11". Asianage.com. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  25. First, Freedom. "Mrinal Gore R.I.P". Freedom First. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  26. Age, Asian. "Six years after 26/11". Asianage.com. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  27. Raghavan, V.R. "Intelligence: more failures than successes". The Hindu. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  28. Guardian, The Sunday. "Police need to adopt scientific probe methods". Sunday-Guardian.com. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  29. TImes, News Network (13 March 2014). "Charting 3 decades of terror intelligence coordination failure". The Times of India. Retrieved 28 November 2014.

Further reading
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