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Research Scholar, Dept. of Defence Studies, H.N.B. Garhwal University, New Tehri, Garhwal
ISSN 0974-6501
2011 Centre for Defence Sciences Research & Development
90
the part that it calls Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas, belongs to
Pakistan. Then is not a dialogue merely an exercise in fertility, many would
ask.
Yet what are the alternatives? War? For a number of reasons this option is
not available to either India or Pakistan. Firstly none of them can afford to
deny international opinion, which never allow India and Pakistan to do so.
Secondly in a possible nuclear war, to which any Indo-Pak war would
eventually lead, there is no winner. One needs not go in to calculations,
through some estimates are available of cost of war in terms of human
lives, money and developments but more so incalculable cost of human
values, human misery and the lasting effects on the minds of the people in
both countries. Thus, the continuing tensions between India and Pakistan
have a direct bearing on the Internal Security Scenario in India.
ii. Insurgency in North-East - In North-East, gone are the days when small
bonds of proud tribesman fought and defended themselves with poison
tripped arrows. Today, the ethnic minorities are wielding sophisticated
weapons and engaging national armies in combat unceasingly. In brief
they are all zealously guarding their ethnic identity. Indias North-East is
one of the South Asias hottest trouble spots not simply the region has
more than 50 armed insurgent organization operating and fighting the
Indian State, but because trans-border linkages that these groups have
and strategic alliances among them, have acted as force multipliers and
have made the conflict dynamics all the more intricate. These linkages
could be tactical, operational linkages or for financial benefits.
iii. Border Management - As maximum Indian borders are man-made artificial
boundaries and not based on natural features such as rivers and
watersheds, they are extremely porous and easy to cross. For instance,
one of the biggest challenges facing today is the migration of population
for employment from Bangladesh to India. In addition, some neighboring
countries have tried to provide safe havens to terrorist in the guise of
supporting freedom movement and try to acquire pressure points vis--vis
India. By co-incidence two of the world largest drug producing centers,
Golden Crescent in the west and Golden Triangle in the east are located
closed to Indias border. With the result, India is emerging as a major drug
trafficking transit point for the global drug trade merchants.
Beside all of these, two of Indias most important neighbors, Pakistan and
China have raised border disputes with India. There is also a simmering
discontentment in Bangladesh with its land borders with India. All have
tried to resolve the issue by use of force and failed.
c.
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fledged war on our hands. On the one hand will be the maoists with their
cadres of the illiterate poor and on the other a lethargic administration
with their legions of corrupt and inefficient police personnel. Such a
situation is a potential breeding ground for a long terms disaster which
may not be fixable in the near future! "It is neither a local law and order
problem, nor a problem of a single state. It is a national challenge that
demands a comprehensive strategy. This strategy must take into account
not only the policing or the military aspects, but also the economic, social
and cultural dimensions,"
ii. Terrorism - Terrorism in India has had a long and violent history going
back several decades. But, in the recent past it has witnessed a series of
strikes in many parts of the country. The last decade has witnessed lethal
strikes on the Indian Parliament on 13 December 2001, synchronized
series of attacks in the economic hub of India, Mumbai on 26 November
2008, bomb blast in the technology, educational and real estate hub of
India, Pune on 13 February 2010 and recently the bomb blast at the place
of worship in religious city, Varanasi on 08 December 2010. As terrorism
emerges as one of the greatest threats to Indias internal security, the
government, policy makers and strategic community continue their efforts
to find an anti-dose to counter the menace of terrorism. Poignantly, the
Mumbai terror strike in 2008 exposed the fissures in the Indias internal
defense apparatus as it was caught unaware and unprepared. However,
the incident provided the Indian government an important lesson to
prepare itself and deal with the new-age terrorism. A stringent series of
measures have since been initiated to revamp its existing homeland
security apparatus to shield and secure the country against future terror
aggressions.
Conclusion
Security is not a luxury and is not merely a function of the state; it is a way of
life. India has to and can overcome the general inability of democracies to put
together the political will, the resources and the strategies that are necessary to
prevail over all internal security threats. Real reforms that would remove or
minimize economic and religion/caste-based inequalities, good and honest
governance and effective policing are pre-requisites for the marshalling the total
resources of the nation in these efforts. Morever, the choice is not between
solution and no solution. Even a few steps towards a solution, narrowing the wide
gaps between deferent position and reduction in degree of tension and violence
should be welcome. The Govt of India should also be prepared to lower the
threshold of tolerance in relation to internal security problems and to serve
credible notice that India has the capabilities and the determination to inflict
prohibitively high and unacceptable cost of these problems against Indian
interests.
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