In a fast-evolving global security environment, boundaries between external and internal threats to national security are blurred. Conventional conflicts, which took the form of declared wars between countries, like the Indo-Pak wars of 1965 and 1971, will be rare in the future. Conventional warfighting has now been supplemented by asymmetric and hybrid warfare in which the adversaries use sub-conventional means to undermine other’s national interests. Some countries even use terrorism as an instrument of state policy to further their agenda.
Unlike countries in the West, India is geographically situated in a volatile neighbourhood, having unsettled borders with China and Pakistan. The Indian state and her citizens residing in the border states of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and the Northeast have suffered physically, emotionally and economically due to insurgency, which was often supported by external forces/countries. State police forces have been found to be grossly undertrained both physically and mentally to undertake operations against militants who are heavily armed and well trained. This often necessitates the deployment of central forces including the army to assist the civil administration in the restoration of law and order. In the past, such decisions have been taken on a case-by-case basis, based on the prevailing security situation.
Having served in Punjab during peak insurgency in the early 1990s, it was experienced that criminals, smugglers and anti-national elements found common cause with the militants to collectively take on the authority of the state. They often got the better of the state police force, thereby lowering their morale and effectiveness. Punjab went through very difficult times in the 1980s and 90s when, as per official figures, almost 20,000 people lost their lives out of whom 11,690 were civilians, 1,714 policemen and 7,946 militants. This highlights the sensitive location of this state in the national security canvas. Normalcy was restored by the security forces, primarily the Punjab Police, with the active support of the citizens by 1994. There have been recent reports of Pakistan attempting to revive militancy in Punjab, which needs proactive countermeasures.
Narco-terrorism is a reality that has adversely affected Indian security. During the last two decades, our adversary has used drugs as a means to undermine the growth of this border state. There has been a proliferation of drug abuse by the youth in Punjab, which has adversely affected a whole generation, rendering them ineffective. Widespread drug use can be attributed to the failure of the law-and-order agencies in the state, thereby facilitating a Pakistani design to weaken the Indian state. It would be difficult to believe that such rampant use of drugs can take place without the knowledge and tacit support of the state police. The recent use of drones to send drugs and weapons into India from across the border has further made the task of policing extremely challenging and border areas vulnerable.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a notification on October 11, 2021, extending the jurisdiction of the Border Security Force (BSF) to 50 km from the international border in the states of Punjab, Assam and West Bengal against the earlier limit of 15 km. This notification empowers the BSF to search, seize and arrest criminals under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and crimes related to arms smuggling. This notification has initiated a war of words between the Centre and the states where the chief minister of Punjab has accused the central government of compromising the federal structure enshrined in the Constitution of India. The MHA has justified its action on the grounds of making the jurisdiction of the BSF uniform across all border states as also extending the backward reach of the force to chase and arrest criminals indulging in drug trafficking and arms-related crimes.
State police forces and the BSF belong to the same national security apparatus, where they are expected to operate seamlessly and effectively in their existing jurisdictions. In case shortcomings were noticed, the Centre and state governments should have worked on methods to enhance coordination between the two forces. After all, both the forces are officered at the apex level by the Indian Police Service. New arrangements might result in duplication due to an overlap of jurisdiction though it might prevent criminals escaping to safer areas in the rear and give the BSF an edge in the hot pursuit of criminals. With long, porous borders, it has always been a challenging task for the BSF to seal the Indian land borders effectively. Any operations in the rear area by this force may jeopardise its basic task of border guarding. The BSF and police of the border districts have often been accused of connivance with the drug lords, which is an issue that merits attention. At this stage, it may be difficult to hazard a guess on the efficacy of the new notification in containing drug and arms smuggling.
In the matters of security, legislation and notifications alone may not be enough to get the desired results. Success lies in implementation. The use of technology for better surveillance and effective border sealing may be more appropriate than trying to give the BSF policing outreach in the rear areas. The outcome would depend largely on the spirit in which the laws are implemented. To achieve the desired results, the need for synergy between the state police and the BSF cannot be substituted.
This notification of the MHA has once again brought to the fore the subject of Centre-state relations and the federal structure. It would be prudent to delegate powers, enhance coordination between various security and intelligence agencies and make them accountable for their assigned roles and duties. The implementation of long-pending administrative and police reforms would go a long way in ensuring the desired efficiency and accountability of the police forces and administration. Apolitical administrative and police forces can contribute immensely to good Centre-state relations, resulting in a better state of national security. The spirit of ‘we’ instead of ‘you’ and ‘me’ will go a long way in building a stronger India from the national security perspective.
The author was head of Army Service Corps. He is a distinguished fellow at United Service Institution of India and a motivational and leadership speaker. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication.
Read all the Latest News , Breaking News and IPL 2022 Live Updates here.
Comments
0 comment