Topics: Internal Security | Linkages between Development and Spread of Extremism | Role of External State and Non-state Actors in creating challenges to Internal Security
Questions
Q1. Discuss how there is a link between development and spread of extremism. Also enumerate steps taken by the central government to address issues in naxal-affected areas. (15 Marks)
Q2. Non-state actors are detrimental to the internal security of India. Discuss how various non-state actors have impacted internal security of India. (15 Marks)
Q3. Internal security issues in India are a result of both internal flaws and external attempts to wage a proxy war. Discuss. (15 Marks)
Q4. While most insurgent groups in North-East India have given up violence and are engaged in peace talks with the government, several issues could create hurdles in the future. Discuss. (15 Marks)
Q5. The use of the internet and social media for subversive purposes by non-state actors is a huge security problem. Discuss. (10 Marks)
Model Structures
Q1. Development–Extremism Linkage & Naxal-Area Measures (15 Marks)
Introduction
Development is a holistic process which takes the interests of all stakeholders into account. But when some sections of society do not get the benefits of development and the support of administration, resistance from citizens sometimes takes the shape of extremist actions.
Main Body
Link between development and spread of extremism:
- Areas with unemployment, chronic poverty and poor social indicators for decades compel people to take extreme measures to make the government hear their demands — the reason Naxalism/left-wing extremism started in the first place.
- Tribal issues: The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 prevented tribals from using forest produce; displacement due to development projects and mining resulted in distrust and alienation, pushing tribes towards extreme measures.
- Social discrimination based on caste, region and religion of marginalized communities has added to naxalism and insurgency.
- Poor administration and inefficient governance in remote areas, along with lax implementation of government schemes, has repeatedly caused suffering.
- Tourism in restricted and pristine areas has affected tribal ways of life through westernization and commercialization.
Steps taken by the central government:
- Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme: State governments of LWE-affected areas are reimbursed expenditure on training and operational needs of security forces.
- Special Central Assistance and Special Infrastructure Scheme for LWE-affected districts under the umbrella scheme 'Modernization of Police Forces'; 400 fortified police stations in LWE-affected states.
- Aspirational Districts Programme in five critical areas for holistic development in the spirit of competitive federalism.
- Eklavya Model Residential Schools, PM Adi Adarsh Gram Yojana and PM Jan Jatiya Vikas Mission for overall socio-economic development.
- Civic Action Programme to bridge the trust deficit between security forces and citizens through participation and interaction.
- Road Requirement Plan-I and Road Connectivity Project for LWE-affected districts.
Conclusion
People in naxal areas face the dual brunt of inaccessible government support and exploitation by local powerful groups. There is a need to make constitutional and civil rights effective to bridge the trust deficit. For infrastructural and mining projects, EIA needs to be undertaken with objectivity and transparency.
Q2. Non-state Actors & Internal Security (15 Marks)
Introduction
Non-state actors are informal groups of people or individuals without formal backing but with substantial influence on international events — civil society organizations, extremist outfits, lobbyists, multinational companies etc.
Main Body
Due to their informal, scattered and rogue nature, it is difficult to hold non-state actors accountable — and even then, legal action is not easy.
How non-state actors have impacted India's internal security:
- Terrorism: The biggest threat, given the many modes it can adopt — non-state actors operating from Pakistan like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed are a continuous threat.
- Insurgency and Naxalism: Arose from a perceived development deficit and festered with external help — the North-East suffers insurgency and the red corridor naxalism, with support from China.
- Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN): Facilitate black money and money laundering, which further fosters terrorism.
- Organized financial networks and sophisticated techniques used for bio-chemical weapons and drug trafficking, with the money integrated into the legal financial system to create instabilities.
- India sits between the Golden Crescent and the Golden Triangle — two of the three largest drug-cultivation areas.
- Communalism is exploited by propagandists across the borders with the sole aim of destabilizing India.
- Cyber security: Beyond hacking personal or office computers — ATM skimming, hacking of power grids, nuclear installations and other critical infrastructure. The hacking of the AIIMS Delhi website and leaking of patient data is a glaring example.
Conclusion
National and internal security is a comprehensive area needing a holistic approach. There needs to be a global definition of terrorism, and members of agencies like FATF must work in unison to ensure non-state actors are brought to book.
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Q3. Internal Flaws & External Proxy War (15 Marks)
Introduction
Indian security is vulnerable to threats, tensions and conflicts originating from both indigenous and exogenous sources, influenced by events within India and mainly Asia due to historical, geographical and demographic imperatives.
Main Body
Security challenges due to internal flaws:
- Lack of development and economic inequality: High development deficit and disparity characterise the red-corridor districts.
- Governance deficit: Lack of basic education, healthcare and sustainable employment; infrastructure deficit; law and order issues; absent grievance redressal mechanisms.
- Development projects and tribal alienation: Resource mismanagement and systematic marginalisation in the 1980s displaced tribals from their lands.
- Poor implementation of land reform policy: Led to a disgruntled community in Naxalbari (West Bengal) in the late 1960s, from where naxalism spread.
- Sense of isolation, deprivation and exploitation: Distance from New Delhi and meagre Lok Sabha representation reduce the people's voice, making the call of the gun more attractive.
- Divisive politics: Communalism as a political doctrine exploiting religious and cultural differences for political gain.
- Role of media: Sensationalism and rumours disseminated as "news" have sometimes resulted in tension and riots between rival religious groups.
Challenges due to external attempts at proxy war:
- Insurgency: The North-East suffers violent ethnic-identity movements — China is alleged to support such acts (e.g., ULFA members of Assam were given shelter by China).
- Terrorism: Both state actors (Pakistan) and non-state actors (LeT, JeM) — fundamentalist-motivated terrorism backed by efficient financial networks, IT, clandestine access to chemical-biological and nuclear materials, and drug trafficking.
- Drug trafficking: Via the Golden Crescent (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran — affecting Punjab) and the Golden Triangle (Laos, Myanmar, Thailand — affecting the North-East), a major driver of secessionist forces.
- Counterfeit currency: Corrodes the economy from inside — black money, money laundering and terror funding in a positive feedback loop, arising especially from Pakistan.
- Communalism: Propaganda funded by enemy countries and non-state actors (NGOs, CSOs) to damage the socio-religious fabric — the NSA has raised concern about this "fourth front" of war.
- Cyber security: Incitement of regionalism and separate-state demands, increasing secessionist tendencies.
Government initiatives:
- NATGRID: An intelligence database consolidating and making searchable the data of existing security and law enforcement agencies.
- CCTNS: MHA initiative for storage, transfer and sharing of data between police stations.
- CERT-In: Protection of cyber systems, with countermeasures to patch vulnerabilities.
- SAMADHAN: The Chief Ministers' conference formula to tackle the Naxal problem.
- Ministry for North-East Development (DoNER); legal backing through UAPA and the NDPS Act.
Way forward:
- Inclusive growth: Reduce ethnic and social inequalities and disparities in education and employment.
- Two-way governance: Effective public grievance redressal in conflict-affected areas; timely resolution of genuine problems.
- Efficient delivery of essential goods and services; dedicated supply mechanisms to bridge the government–people gap.
- Infrastructure development: Rail, road, communication, water and housing to generate employment and win hearts.
- Inter-agency coordination among central and state security forces to reduce duplication; states could form composite forces on NSG lines where problems are worse.
- Proactive policy: The National Security Council and Cabinet Committee on Security should prevent threats before they originate.
- Empower agencies: e.g., the Narcotics Control Bureau, given proximity to the Golden Crescent and Golden Triangle.
- Legal empowerment: Trace the funding sources of left-wing extremism for proper action.
Conclusion
The challenge lies in changing the long-term concept of national security — understanding it comprehensively rather than in narrow military terms. Without the feeling of 'Nation First' in every citizen's heart, freedom from internal security threats will not be attained.
Q4. North-East Insurgency — Peace Talks & Future Hurdles (15 Marks)
Introduction
Ethnic insurgency is one of the most significant challenges India has faced in the Northeast. Starting with the Naga insurgency in 1956, various ethnic groups — Meiteis, Mizos, Tripuris and Assamese — have successively risen to assert their distinct identities and political aspirations.
Main Body
Insurgent groups that have given up violence and engaged in peace talks:
- Bodo Accord: Between the Centre, Assam and the National Democratic Front of Bodoland — armed cadres completely disbanded in 2020.
- Militant surrenders in Assam: Militants of eight outfits — including ULFA-I, the Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) and the Rabha National Liberation Front (RNLF) — surrendered recently.
- Peace accord with Nagas: The 2015 framework agreement between the Union government and NSCN-IM to resolve the Greater Nagalim demand; in 2019, NSCN (Khango) also entered a ceasefire.
- Suspension of Operations in Tripura: In 2019, NLFT-SD agreed to abjure violence, join the mainstream and abide by the Constitution.
- Violence has reduced significantly; Mizoram and Tripura have become entirely free of insurgent violence.
Issues that could create hurdles:
- Indeterminate peace talks: NSCN-IM remains unsatisfied with the finalised accord; talks with ULFA (Pro-Talks) were stuck over sovereignty issues.
- Indulgence in criminal activities: Without a clear rehabilitation roadmap, surrendered militants feel frustrated, leave the camps and resort to crime to supplement income.
- Poor implementation of ceasefire agreements: Turf wars and armed rivalries — NSCN (IM) has been found violating the agreement several times since 2015.
- Active insurgent groups beyond Indian borders: ULFA-I and Meitei separatist outfits reportedly hiding in Myanmar; top leaders like Paresh Baruah of ULFA-I camping in China.
- Anti-CAA agitation: Implementation of the CAA, 2019 in Assam's non-scheduled areas has generated resentment; youths are being mobilised and recruited by insurgents; groups like NLFT consider CAA an attack on Tripura's sovereignty.
Way forward:
- Empower the autonomous district councils in the region.
- Decentralisation with alertness, improved administrative efficiency, pro-people governance and accommodation of regional aspirations.
- Better border management to resolve illegal immigration and check safe havens for insurgents.
- Check the arbitrary use of AFSPA, 1958.
- Focus on regional development and enhanced connectivity between the North-East and the rest of the country.
- Greater coordination between central and state forces for better tactical response; greater cultural interaction and holistic inclusive socio-economic development.
Conclusion
The ceasefire agreements have reduced militancy-related fatalities; a roadmap toward a permanent agreement is desired from the Government of India. It will create a conducive environment for investment in the region and address its socio-economic backwardness.
Q5. Internet & Social Media for Subversion (10 Marks)
Introduction
Social media was introduced as a blessing to revolutionise how we connect and to give everyone a platform to reach a larger audience. But threats to internal security have grown, with external state and non-state actors using social media platforms to spread propaganda.
Main Body
Use of the internet and social media for subversive purposes:
- Radicalisation of youth: Propaganda to ideologically radicalise, recruit, communicate and train — NIA has intercepted material from terror groups like AQIS and LeT on Telegram.
- Use by Daesh: Propaganda spread through platforms such as Twitter and YouTube; India too has suffered cases of youth being influenced to carry out propaganda of hate and violence.
- Inflaming sensitive issues: False propaganda using morphed videos or false claims of injustice — e.g., mob lynchings triggered by false cow-vigilantism propaganda.
- Disinformation and misinformation: Viral falsehoods erode people's trust in institutions and government bodies.
- Inducement of public panic: Rumours spread like wildfire — child-kidnapping rumours led to mob lynchings in Jharkhand.
- Criminality: The internet as a communication and coordination tool for drug smuggling, human trafficking and money laundering.
Security threats due to social media and the internet:
- Instigating riots: In 2013, a morphed YouTube video was used to fan communal riots in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh.
- Cyber attacks: Privacy breaches, financial frauds, theft of confidential information.
- Attacks on critical infrastructure: The Kudankulam nuclear plant attack; the Mumbai power grid failure.
- Protest movements and revolutions: Social media can create political instability — Yellow Vest movement, Jasmine Revolution, Umbrella Movement.
- Terrorism: Spreading ideology and brainwashing youth; disturbing social harmony.
- Separatist movements: Fake rumours and videos radicalising youth — e.g., the government banned 'Punjab Politics TV', which was using social media to ignite the Khalistan movement and disturb public order.
Way forward:
- Intelligence: State intelligence and police continuously scanning cyberspace for threats.
- Police–public coordination: Constant self-training and connecting with people to tackle "fourth generation" warfare against an invisible enemy.
- Comprehensive action: Treat internal security problems in all dimensions — political, economic and social — not merely as law-and-order issues.
- Cyber security policy to protect confidential information and critical infrastructure; a comprehensive national social media policy.
- Aware citizenry: Sensitising the young and vulnerable to consume cyberspace content cautiously.
- Strengthen existing infrastructure: NATGRID, CERT-In, Central Monitoring System, NETRA, NCIIPC.
- Code of practice on misinformation: Disrupt ad revenue of offending websites, address fake accounts, give more visibility to authoritative content.
Conclusion
With deepening internet and social media penetration, these challenges will rise — we need to continuously analyse, prevent and respond effectively. Modern technologies like AI and machine learning can be deployed for this purpose.
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