India's Internal Security Challenges

Role of external state and non-state actors in creating…… challenges to…. internal security.

INTRODUCTION-

Internal Security Challenges in India, are no more local in nature and has inter- state and nation-wide ramifications.

Internal security' is an important aspect of National Security.

 The National Security has …….following  main objectives -

-Safeguarding territorial integrity,

-Preserving sovereignty and

-Maintaining domestic peace.

 -Maintenance of Law &Order.

-Harmony &Fraternity

In the Arthashastra Kautilya wrote that a state could be at risk from ……four types of threats –

-Internal           - External,       -Externally-aided internal, and       -Internally-aided external.

He advised that of these four types,…. internal threats should be taken care of immediately, which are far more serious than external threats. The most dangerous enemy is the enemy within.

INDIA'S INTERNAL SECURITY PROBLEMS

 We can categorise India's Internal Security in following categories –

Problems of Nation Building –

India's …..Multiethnic,… multicultural fabric has been.. adversely affected by the problem of …..unequal development, ….caste tensions and ethnic violence.

This has raised the questions on the process of Nation Building with the development of equal society, as enshrined in the Constitution.

Ethnic Conflicts/ Fundamentalism

Problems of Disputes, Governance and Management- Under this category we can include the following problems:

Kashmir Problem

Insurgency in North-East

Problems of Ideological Differences -

Naxalism … Terrorism

ROLE OF STATE AND NON-STATE ACTORS IN CREATING CHALLENGES  TO INTERNAL SECURITY

STATE AND NON-STATE ACTORS

India has been facing challenges on the front of internal security since independence from various state and non-state actors.

External State actors –

A state actor is an individual or entity that is associated with or represents a government or state. 

State actors have the formal backing of a sovereign state to carry out their actions. 

They play a significant role in various domains, including information control, human rights, government speech, and cybersecurity. 

Examples of state actors include: 

The Army, Bureaucracy, and Intelligence Services.

"State ACTORS "in world politics are based on the pillars of:

1-sovereignty, 2 recognition of statehood, and    3- the control of territory.

Role of "EXTERNAL STATE ACTORS " in creating challenges to  internal security-

1) The state may carry out a " limited war" against Indian state and this might have ramifications for our internal security too

2) EXTERNAL  STATE  ACTORS  might support the various insurgent groups, Naxalites, or separatist groups through funding, training or logistics

3)  EXTERNAL  STATE  ACTORS  have been responsible for carrying out a limited cyber warfare through hacking and other espionage .

Non state actors –

NSA have a considerable power of influencing international events but they do not have formal state backing.

Non state actors would be NGOs, civil society organizations, extremist outfits, multinational companies etc.

VARIOUS TYPES OF NSA

•           International Governmental Organisations such as NATO, UN etc.

•           The International Media

•           Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as, Amnesty International, Greenpeace etc.

•           Civil society.

•           Multinational corporations-for-profit organizations that operate in multiple sovereign states.

•           Violent non-state actors-Armed groups, including groups such as AI-Qaeda or criminal organizations, for example drug cartels.

•           Religious Groups.

•           Transnational diaspora communities- Ethnic or national communities that to influence their original and current territories.

These NSAs are not always sympathetic to national interests, but instead are loyal to their group's/ Corporation's/ Community's interests.

ROLE OF NON STATE ACTORS IN CREATING CHALLENGES TO INTERNAL SECURITY

1) Proxy War -Non state actors from the neighboring country have been carrying out a proxy war since decades in order to “bleed India to death”

2) Insurgency - Certain dubious NGOs  promote Insurgency and so called civil society organizations also work in a clandestine manner to provoke discontent sections of Indian society which creates internal security issues. Eg- Promotion of Insurgency in NE

3) Fake Currency-Various dubious non state actors run fake… currency rackets and …drug rackets which pose a challenge to the economic and social security of India.

4) Ultra Values/Ethnic Riots -Organized attacks on …..ultural values through media channels, …ethnic tensions due to cross border migrations in north east .

5)Drugs supplies - Inter and Intra state trafficking takes place, through golden crescent and golden triangle routes. Udata Punjab issues in punjab is a great threats to countries internal security.

6) Cyber Security: Recent cyber-attacks by Legion, ATM skimming are examples. Pakistani hackers often hack government websites.

7) Human-trafficking: -Children and women trafficking takes place via Bangladesh and Nepal.

ROLE OF STATE AND NON-STATE ACTORS IN PAKISTAN-

It is evident that there is covert and overt threat from Pakistan to …India’s internal and external security system. India also face huge economic challenges due to the fake currency rackets.

Pakistan is one of India’s main concerns both on external and internal security fronts.

Due to its continued strategic partnership with China, it can stretch Indian armed forces capabilities in the Eastern sector also.

The China-Pak link has given rise to external concerns such as modernization plans of Karakoram highway, development of Gwadar as a naval port and covert assistance in Pakistan’s nuclear and missile program.

Inter-services Intelligence and Pak Military Islamic terrorist groups like the …Al-Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami, …Jaish-e-Mohammad, and the Pakistani Taliban along with various other Jehadi Tanjims.

Lashkar-e-Taiba  -

Is one of the largest and most active Islamist militant organisations in South Asia,  operating mainly from Pakistan.

 It was founded in 1987 by Hafiz Saeed, Abdullah Azzam and Zafar Iqbal in Afghanistan, with funding from Osama bin Laden.

 Its headquarters  near Lahore in Punjab province of Pakistan, and the group operates several training camps in Pakistan-administered Kashmir .

Lashkar-e-Taiba has been accused by India of attacking military and civilian targets in India, most notably are-

-2001 Indian Parliament attack

-2008 Mumbai attacks.

 Its stated objective is to introduce an Islamic state in South Asia and to…….. "liberate" Muslims residing in Indian Kashmir.

The organization is banned as a terrorist organization by India,the United States, the United Kingdom  the European Union , Russia, Australia , and the United Nations (under the UNSC Resolution 1267 Al-Qaeda Sanctions List).