Chandar S. SUNDARAM

April 08, 1960 - June 16, 2025

Sundaram - Chandar Sekharan died peacefully June 16, 2025 in Victoria BC. Born on April 8, 1960 in Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore), India and pre-deceased by his mother, Bhavani Sundaram (1932-2007) and his father, Sutthamallee P. Sundaram (1923-2012). He described himself as an independent military historian. He earned an MA and PhD from McGill University, teaching at universities and colleges in Canada, the United States, Hong Kong, China and the Philippines. He also held fellowships in India. A dedicated and meticulous scholar, who developed his own personal philosophy of history. He became an acknowledged expert on the Indian colonial army, publishing three books, the last of which was the "brilliantly conceived" and "beautifully written" Indianization: The Forgotten Debate, shortlisted for the UK's Templer Prize in 2020. His 1995 article on the insurgent Indian National Army (INA), A Paper Tiger, was anthologized in a seven-volume collection of the best writing on the Second World War selected by renowned historian Professor Jeremy Black. Chandar authored numerous articles and book reviews for various history journals, including on the INA for inclusion in the highly-regarded five-volume Encyclopedia of War (2011). Most recently, he focused on his fourth book, a balanced and critical history of the INA.
Unfortunately, throughout, he struggled with chronic ill-health, but in spite of this, he rose above it to follow his father's advice- "Whatever you do, do it well." Congratulations Chandar, you did it very well indeed. A kind-hearted and humble man, Chandar had many friends and will be sorely missed.
A memorial gathering will be held at 'Koffi' in Haultain village on 27 August, from 5 to 7 PM. Donations, in Chandar's name, can be made to The Red Cedar Café at www.redcedarcafe.ca/donate