Essay on India and Its Security Challenges

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Essay on India and Its Security Challenges

Essay Contents:

Essay on the Challenges of Border Security
Essay on India’s Land Boundaries with her Immediate Neighbours
Essay on Coastal Security and Island Territories
Essay on the Challenges to Managing our Borders
Essay on the Techniques of Effective Border Management
Essay on Air Space Security, Challenges & Management

Essay # 1. Challenges of Border Security:

Borders are the visible symbols of a country’s sovereignty, unity and integrity. Borders are seen as a symbol of national pride.

There are three distinct sets of borders at the international level:

i. Land borders

ii. Maritime boundaries

iii. Airspace

Border management in the present world order is a complex proposition. The transgressor is always on the lookout for soft gaps on land, along the coast or if need be, from the air. The 1995 Purulia incident has already demonstrated our vulnerability from the air. It is therefore necessary to adopt a holistic approach to border management.

Managing borders is difficult for several reasons. Some of our maritime boundaries are still unsettled. Land borders are not fully demarcated. Sections of our borders are based on artificial boundaries and not natural features.

Essay # 2. India’s Land Boundaries with her Immediate Neighbours:

India shares approx. 15,000 kilometres of boundary with her immediate neighbours, namely Pakistan (3,323 km), China (3,488 km), Nepal (1,751 km), Bhutan (699 km), Myanmar (1,643 km) and Bangladesh (4,096 km). India’s boundary with each of her neighbours runs through a variety of ecological milieus, each with its own unique setting and associated problems.

For example, the India-Pakistan border areas are spread across extreme climatic conditions, given that the boundary runs from the hot Runn of Kuchh to Thar Desert in Rajasthan to the cold Himalayas in Jammu and Kashmir. Similarly, in the north, the India-China boundary runs along one of the loftiest mountain ranges covered with snow all through the year. The India-Myanmar boundary is draped with lush tropical forests with myriad under growths.

The Indo-Bangladesh boundary has to cope with the ever-shifting riverbeds in the region. These diverse ecological and climatic conditions create immense hurdles for extending the security and administrative reach in these border areas.

Coupled with this, the man-made nature of these boundaries also throws up serious issues, such as border disputes, porous borders, continuance of trans- border ethnic and social ties, etc. Together, they pose a serious challenge to the effective management of the borders. Let’s examine each of our borders with our neighbouring countries.

1. Indo-Pakistan Border:

The India-Pakistan boundary is categorised under three different heads:

a. Radcliff Line:

This is 2,308 km long, stretches from Gujarat to parts of Jammu district in Jammu and Kashmir.

b. Line of Control (LoC):

This line is 776 km long and runs along the districts of Jammu (some parts), Rajouri, Poonch, Baramula, Kupwara, Kargil and some portions of Leh.

c. Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL):

This is 110 km long and extends from NJ 9842 to Indira Col in the North.

The LoC and the AGPL have seen constant tensions with border skirmishes and firing between the armies, and border security forces constantly guarding boundaries of both the countries. The LoC has been vulnerable to constant infiltration by foreign terrorists, Kashmiri separatists and Pakistani army regulars for long.

Like the Bangladesh boundary, the India-Pakistan boundary also does not follow any geographical barrier. It runs through diverse terrain like deserts, marshes, plains and snow clad mountains, and winds its way through villages, houses and agricultural lands, making it extremely porous. Porosity of this border has facilitated various illegal activities, such as smuggling, drugs and arms trafficking, and infiltration.

Heroin and fake Indian currency are the two predominant items of smuggling along this border. Other items include saffron, textiles and mercury, which are smuggled from Pakistan. The villagers adjacent to the border are alleged to be involved in smuggling in a big way. Money laundering is also quite rampant along the border. A large scale hawala network is flourishing in Punjab, especially in Ludhiana.

In addition, the border population has also been subjected to hostile propaganda by Pakistan, designed to mislead and sway their loyalties. The Sir Creek area, due to its peculiar terrain, makes the movement of border guarding forces very difficult and thus provides scope for illegal fishing in the creeks.

A discordant political relationship, three-and-a-half wars and Pakistan’s material support for secessionist militants in the border states of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir compelled India to harden its international border with Pakistan. An inward-looking economy and the absence of an imperative for regional economic integration also resulted in restricted movement of people and goods across the border.

However, in the past decade or so, an emergent Indian economy coupled with both countries’ desire to engage themselves constructively had paved the way for softening the border and the India- Pakistan border gradually opened up for increased trade and travel.

Moreover, inadequate manpower, lack of resources and inadequate cooperation from Pakistan make management of the border difficult. As a result, India has to continuously balance the imperatives of maintaining the border as a barrier against cross-border terrorism with softening it to enable the regulated flow of trade and travel.

2. Indo-China Border:

The entire Sino-Indian border (including the western LAC, the small undisputed section in the centre, and the MacMahon Line in the east) is 4,056 km long and traverses five Indian states- Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. On the Chinese side, the line traverses the Tibet Autonomous Region. The demarcation existed as the informal ceasefire line between India and China after the 1962 conflict until 1993, when its existence was officially accepted as the ‘Line of Actual Control’ in a bilateral agreement.

China is in occupation of approximately 38,000 sq. kms of Indian Territory in Jammu and Kashmir. In addition, under the so-called China-Pakistan “Boundary Agreement” of 1963, Pakistan ceded 5,180 sq. kms. of Indian territory in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir to China. China claims approximately 90,000 sq. kms. of Indian territory in Arunachal Pradesh and about 2000 sq. kms. in the Middle Sector of the India-China boundary. Beijing has stated that it does not recognise Arunachal Pradesh.

The border between China and India has never been officially delimited. China’s position on the eastern part of the border between the two countries is consistent. Not a single Chinese government recognises the “illegal” McMahon Line. For China, the McMahon Line, stands as a symbol of imperialist aggression on the country. The so-called “Arunachal Pradesh” dispute is China’s most intractable border issue.

Because the gap between the positions of China and India is wide, it is difficult for both nations to reach consensus. The area of this disputed region is three times that of Taiwan, six times that of Beijing and ten times that of the Malvenas islands, disputed by Britain and Argentina. It is flat and rich in water and forest resources.

Arunachal Pradesh is the only issue which has a potential for conflict between India and China. If ever India and China go to war one day, it will be on this issue. India considers recurring Sino-Indian border clashes a potential threat to its security. Since the war, each side continued to improve its military and logistics capabilities in the disputed regions.

China has continued its occupation of the Aksai Chin area, through which it built a strategic highway linking Xizang and Xinjiang autonomous regions. China had a vital military interest in maintaining control over this region, whereas India’s primary interest lay in Arunachal Pradesh, its state in the northeast bordering Xizang Autonomous Region.

3. Indo Bangladesh Border:

India shares the longest border (4,096 km) with Bangladesh. Bangladesh borders the Indian states of West Bengal in the west and north, Assam and Meghalaya in the north-east, and Tripura and Mizoram in the east. The boundary was drawn by ‘Bengal Boundary Commission’.

Instead of following natural barriers, it meanders through villages, agricultural lands and rivers, rendering the border extremely porous with many disputed pockets. Un-demarcated stretches, existence of enclaves (chhit-mohols), and adverse possessions are cause of constant friction between the border guarding forces of India and Bangladesh.

In 1974, three years after the liberation of Bangladesh, the then prime ministers of India and Bangladesh, Indira Gandhi and Sheikh Mujib-ur-Rahman, inked an agreement to settle the land boundary issue. The Indira-Mujib Agreement laid down the methods for demarcating various disputed stretches of the India-Bangladesh boundary. Under the agreement, India retained the southern half of enclaves and Bangladesh retained the other half.

At present, there are 111 Indian enclaves in Bangladesh and 51 Bangladeshi enclaves in India. Since India does not have access to these enclaves, it has not been possible to establish administrative set-up to provide facilities like police stations, courts, schools, roads, hospitals, banks, markets, etc. for the residents.

A major consequence of the porous border is the ease with which it is crossed illegally. The trend of illegal migration from Bangladesh into India has continued since independence. Various ‘push’ factors, such as poverty, political upheavals, religious persecution, demographic pressures and environmental crises, and ‘pull’ factors, such as availability of land, employment opportunities, medical care and education, have contributed to the large-scale influx of Bangladeshis into India. The porosity of the border also allows Indian insurgents to cross over to Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries for asylum.

Porous border, lack of economic opportunities, poverty and underdevelopment, attitude of the people towards petty crimes, laxity in vigilance, alleged nexus between criminals and police and border guarding forces all contribute to the escalating trans-border crimes.

Smuggling of cattle has become a serious concern. Truckloads of cattle from Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are shipped to the India-Bangladesh border every day, ostensibly for grazing purposes. From here, these cattle are smuggled into Bangladesh. The Border Security Force (BSF) regularly seizes cattle. Along with cattle, smuggling of arms and other essential items, such as sugar, salt and diesel, human and narcotics trafficking, counterfeit Indian currency, kidnapping, and thefts are quite common along this border.

The Enclaves Issue:

The prime ministers of India and Bangladesh signed a Land Boundary Agreement in 1974 to exchange all enclaves and simplify the international border. In 1974 Bangladesh approved the proposed Land Boundary Agreement, but India did not ratify it. In 2011 the two countries again agreed to exchange enclaves and adverse possessions. A revised version of the agreement was finally adopted by the two countries when the Parliament of India passed the 119th Amendment to the Indian Constitution on 7 May 2015.

Inside the main part of Bangladesh, there were 111 Indian enclaves (17,160.63 acres), while inside the main part of India, there were 51 Bangladeshi enclaves (7,110.02 acres). In respect of adverse possessions, India received 2,777.038 acres of land and transferred 2,267.682 acres to Bangladesh. Under the agreement, the enclave residents could continue to reside at their present location or move to the country of their choice.

4. Indo Nepal Border:

As close neighbours, India and Nepal share a unique relationship of friendship and cooperation characterized by open borders and deep-rooted people-to-people contacts of kinship and culture. There has been a long tradition of free movement of people across the borders. Nepal has an area of 147,181 sq. kms. and a population of 29 million. It shares a border of over 1850 kms in the east, south and west with five Indian States—Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand—and in the north with the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China.

The India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1950 forms the bedrock of the special relations that exist between India and Nepal. Under the provisions of this Treaty, the Nepalese citizens have enjoyed unparalleled advantages in India, availing facilities and opportunities at par with Indian citizens. Nearly 6 million Nepali citizens live and work in India. Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) is the border guarding force for Indo-Nepal border.

There are many points of dispute, mostly a result of the constantly shifting courses of the turbulent Himalayan Rivers (especially Kalapani and Susta). The submergence, destruction and removal of border pillars and encroachment into no-man’s land by people from either side add to the problem.

Allegations of excesses, such as intimidation and forcible grabbing of land by either side along the disputed border, also surface from time to time. The disputed border has created unease not only between the two countries but also among their local populations. Unrestricted migration over the years has produced territorial pockets dominated by people originating from the other country.

An open border allows easy access to terrorists and insurgents. In the late 1980s, Sikh and Kashmiri terrorists sneaked into India via Nepal. ULFA, NDBF and KLO have misused the open border in the past. Earlier, reportedly, Maoists often escaped into India when pursued by Nepalese security agencies.

Apart from insurgents and terrorists, many hard-core criminals pursued by Indian and Nepalese security forces escape across the open border. ISI, LeT and other terrorist organisations are continuously using Nepal as a transit route and are also operating from soil of Nepal. They are taking advantage of the open and porous border.

The New Issue of Madhesis:

A new Constitution was promulgated in Nepal on 20 September 2015. It has failed to satisfy the Madheshis and Tharus who constitute 70 per cent of the Terai population. This led to a violent Madheshi agitation in Nepal in general and in the Terai region in particular due to which life in the Terai region had been paralysed.

Their main demand is — “proportional political equity of a highly populated Madhesh in Kathmandu” The negotiations over the last one month indicate that the Madhesi Morcha may now agree to the proposal to form a committee to submit its recommendations on demarcation issues.

5. Indo Myanmar Border:

The boundary was demarcated in 1967 under an agreement signed by both countries. However, numerous earlier treaties and acts had affected the alignment of portions of the boundary and formed much of the basis of the new agreement.

The location of the Indo-Myanmar border throws up many challenges for its effective management. Though the boundary is properly demarcated, there are a few disputed pockets. The rugged terrain makes movement and overall development of the area difficult. The internal dynamics of the region in terms of clan loyalties of the tribal people, inter-tribal clashes, insurgency and trans border ethnic ties also adversely affect the security of the border areas.

There is practically no physical barrier along the border either in the form of fences or border outposts and roads to ensure strict vigil. Close ethnic ties among the tribes, such as Nagas, Kukis, Chin, etc., who live astride the border, help insurgents in finding safe haven in Myanmar.

The location of the boundary at the edge of the ‘golden triangle’ facilitates unrestricted illegal inflow of drugs into India. The smuggling of arms and ammunition, precious stones and Chinese made consumer items finds its way into India illegally. Red Sanders, ATS (amphetamine type stimulant), grocery items, bicycle parts, etc. are smuggled from India.

Human trafficking is also rampant along the border. The provision of allowing the tribal communities of both countries to travel up to 16 km across the border without any passport or visa called ‘Free Movement Regime’ has also contributed to increased smuggling in the region.

India is constructing to seal its 1,624-kilometre (1,009 mile) long border with Burma. India hopes to curtail cross-border crime, including goods, arms and counterfeit Indian currency smuggling, drug trafficking, and insurgency. Indian Army’s Assam rifles has been deployed there for border guarding.

On 9 June 2015, The Indian Army carried out a surgical strike at two locations on the Indo-Myanmar border, pre-empting a terror attack and inflicted heavy damage on the militants.

The Indian Army’s counter-attack came five days after 18 of its soldiers were massacred in Manipur’s Chandel district by militants drawn from various groups, including NSCN-Khaplang and Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL).

6. Indo Bhutan Border:

The Bhutan-India Border is the international boundary between the Kingdom of Bhutan and the Republic of India. The border is 699 km long, and adjoins the Indian states of Assam (267 km), Arunachal Pradesh (217 km), West Bengal (183 km), and Sikkim (32 km).

The Treaty of Peace between Britain and Bhutan demarcated the border in 1865, following the Bhutan War. The boundary was further detailed and refined in the 1973-1984 period through talks between Bhutan and India. Remaining disputes have been minor and concern part of the border with Arunachal Pradesh, and the region between Sarbhang and Geylegphug.

The border between Bhutan and India is the only land access into entering Bhutan, as the border with China is completely closed. The single entry point for foreign nationals is between the towns of Jaigaon in the Indian state of West Bengal and Phuntsholing, in South West Bhutan.

The Indian government deploys 12 battalions of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and 132 border posts, to guard the border on its side. The bilateral Indian- Bhutan Group Border Management and Security has been established to collaboratively assess and secure the border between the two countries.

The boundary is demarcated except along the tri-junction with China, where the boundary is open. The border was peaceful till Indian insurgent groups such as KLO, ULFA and NDBF established camps in the southern districts of Bhutan though these were flushed out later.

Taking advantage of the open border, these insurgents would sneak into Bhutan after carrying out extortions, killings and bomb blasts. Smuggling and trafficking are also rampant along the border. Chinese made goods, Bhutanese cannabis, liquor and forest products are major items smuggled into India. Livestock, grocery items and fruits are smuggled to Bhutan.

Essay # 3. Coastal Security and Island Territories:

Water channels, most of which are interconnected and run deep inside the land, render the coastline porous and hence vulnerable to cross-border infiltration, smuggling and arms and drugs trafficking. Existence of mangrove forests, sandbars and uninhabited islands along the coast provide ideal hideaways for infiltrators and criminals. In recent years, the use of sea by terrorists to carry out attacks, as was seen during the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts and the November 2008 attack on Mumbai, have also added a new dimension to the vulnerability of the coastline.

The matter is made worse by the existence of several high value targets such as oil refineries, atomic power plants, space stations, ports and naval bases along the coastline. There is growing worry about non-conventional threats as well as terrorist attacks, sabotage, etc., on such targets which could potentially inflict massive damage.

Straying of both Indian and Pakistani fishermen into each other’s territorial waters and their subsequent arrests has also been a perennial source of concern. It is feared that at least some of the arrested fishermen could be recruited by Pakistan’s Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) and used as agents against India and their boats could be used to sneak in arms, explosives and operatives into India.

Since these boats have Indian make and registration number, they could easily evade attempts by Indian security agencies to track them. This is what seems to have happened when the Coast Guard let off the ‘Kuber’, the vessel in which the terrorists travelled in November 2008.

Strategic location of the island territories, i.e. their proximity to the important Sea Lanes of Communication (SLOC) and Southeast Asian and African countries, coupled with considerable distance from the mainland add to their vulnerability. In recent years, intelligence reports have suggested that many uninhabited islands are being misused by terrorist groups and criminal gangs as transit points for smuggling arms and narcotics.

Internal disturbances in India’s neighbouring littoral countries also make the security scenario of the island territories extremely grim. The Andaman and Nicobar islands have seen large scale influx of illegal migrants from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka (Tamils), Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia. Besides, the Indian Ocean has been a theatre of intense rivalries between great powers, mostly extra-regional powers.

Essay # 4. Challenges to Managing our Borders:

The challenges include:

1. Confronting the challenges to the unity and integrity of India

2. Upholding our sovereignty

3. Defending our territorial jurisdiction

4. Preventing infiltration and illegal movement across the border

5. Inculcating a sense of safety and freedom among people living in border areas

6. Checking trafficking of all kinds (arms, humans, drugs)

7. Controlling the trafficking in Fake Currency Indian Notes (FCIN)

8. Prevention of smuggling of goods like cattle, gold etc.

Essay # 5. Techniques of Effective Border Management:

The following techniques would help in managing and securing the borders:

1. Building of fences and erecting floodlights

2. Creating effective Border outposts (BoP)

3. Step-up infrastructure development, like roads

4. Effective patrolling and building of observation post towers

5. Building of Naka/machan

6. Equipping the security forces with night vision technologies

7. Installation of CCTV and thermal imaging equipment

Essay # 6. Air Space Security, Challenges & Management:

The changing scenario of security threats and challenges forces a nation to secure all its frontiers. Secured airspace is one of the layers of defence along with ground and marine based security preparedness, necessary to crush any threat coming from the space or targeting this area.

Before entering into security aspects of airspace we must have a clear idea of what airspaces encompasses. Basically it is the area of the atmosphere above the territory of the state. The second decade of the twentieth century saw an increase in the international use of aircrafts for carrying passengers, cargo and military assets and this led to the question of air sovereignty.

The Paris Convention (1919) was the first of its kind to bring some clarity to the definition of air space and airspace sovereignty. Later in 1944 the Chicago convention of international civil aviation, established a UN agency named International Civil aviation Organisation (ICAO) for co-ordinating and regulating use of airspace. Presently ICAO has 191 member states including India. Both these conventions are considered milestone in airspace management.

“Every state has inclusive sovereignty over their airspace directly above its territory including its territorial waters.”

Few Definitions in Airspace:

i. Controlled Airspace:

It is defined as airspace of defined dimensions within which air traffic control measures are provided.

ii. Uncontrolled Airspace:

In uncontrolled airspace all kind of flights are permitted where all participating flights can receive flight information services, if required.

iii. Prohibited Area:

The prohibited area is generally defined in airspace keeping national security concerns in mind and sometimes environmental concerns. Within this space the flights are not permitted at any time or under any circumstances.

iv. Restricted Area:

A restricted area is airspace of defined dimensions above the land area or territorial waters of a state within which the flight of aircrafts is restricted in accordance with specific conditions.

v. Danger Area:

It may be quite a large portion of airspace within which artillery practices, missile firing and other activities may take place and so the flight of aircrafts is restricted.

We can see that such zones restrict the airspace to a very limited corridor for civil aviation traffic. As the restricted areas and the danger areas generally remain inactive for much of the time after their notification, a concept of Flexible Use of Airspace (FUA) has been evolved to optimize the use of airspace for commercial purposes as well.

Indian Airspace:

Indian airspace is a great three-dimensional space of 40 million cu. km covering the Indian mainland, islands and its territorial waters under its umbrella. Factors like our hostile neighbours, increased air traffic owing to economic liberalisation and need to keep an eye on trade routes make our airspace management important and challenging. Indian airspace, like any other airspace, has limited space left for civil aviation traffic and most of the airspace are marked prohibited, restricted or danger zone.

Though these zones have their security significance but economic and commercial aspects need to be addressed with effective management of our airspace with increased investment in surveillance and other security measures. The European concept of FUA is being incorporated in managing our airspace for its efficient use for commercial exploits.

Security Challenges:

The security challenges to Indian airspace are highlighted by the infamous Purulia Arms drop case of 1995, followed by shooting down of a Pakistan Air Force’s surveillance aircraft killing all 17 on board in 1998. Besides these, many minor incidences of airspace violation by our neighbouring countries come into light from time to time.

The incidents of global ramifications like 9/11 attack on WTC in USA, where civilian aircrafts are used to bring havoc, recent disappearance of Air Malaysia aircraft MH370 and downing of another Malaysian air aircraft MH 17 near Ukraine must be kept in mind while planning for Indian airspace management.

Measures:

To keep our vast airspace secure and manage the air traffic within this space, India needs to upgrade its existing infrastructures and procedures. All the stakeholders of our airspace need to come together to institutionalize airspace management for maintaining air traffic as well as safeguarding its strategic security concerns.

Airspace management encompasses measures of air defense carried by Indian Air Force in association with Indian army and Indian navy in certain areas, Air Traffic Services (ATS) provided by Airport Authority of India, Indian Air force and to some extent by Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL) and limited air defense roles of Indian Army and Indian Navy.

Airspace management comprises of the following activities:

i. Regulatory Functions

ii. Surveillance

iii. Control Mechanism

iv. Weapon System and Interceptors

v. Air Traffic Control.

Air Defense Identification Zones (ADIZ):

India has established its own ADIZ and procedures for identification, location and control of all the aircrafts within its airspace. There are total six ADIZs covering Indian Territory namely, North, West, Central, East, South and South- East. ADIZ South also includes airspace over and upto the territorial waters of Lakshadweep Islands.

All aircrafts flying in air space above the Indian Territory, including territorial waters adjacent thereto are required to follow the established ATS routes as promulgated by Notam or Aeronautical information Publication or any other route over which the flight is specifically permitted. Pilots are cautioned not to fly in the air space over Indian Territory within 15NM of the border of India except when following an ATS or specifically permitted route or when operating to or from any aerodrome situated within 15NM of border of India.

If an aircraft penetrates into/operates within an ADIZ without Air Defense Clearance, strays into a restricted area/prohibited area/danger area or fails to inform the Air Traffic Control Centre about its deviation/intended deviation from the route, it will be liable to interception by fighter aircraft.