Various challenges faced by India regarding national security

India is facing major national security challenges today. These are external and internal challenges. From the external stand-point, India has been on a war in Ladakh along the India-China border for decades. This conflict began on 5^th May and is ongoing without any likelihood of coming to an end very soon. The line of control with Pakistan is subject to ceasefire violations and firing every day. Additionally, infiltration of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh into India is also on the rise. National security is also compromised due to cross border terrorism from neighbouring countries. Recent intelligence reports alerted that a group of terrorists infiltrated States of Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala via sea route.

1. Use of terror alert devices for
early detection of terrorist activities

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested some ISIS terrorists recently and pre-empted possible terrorist attacks in various parts of the country. In the past, terrorists were able to attack any part of India and cause thousands of civilian deaths. An investigation would begin after the terrorist attack; however, the success rate of arresting terrorists was less than 50%. The arrested terrorists were prosecuted in courts and the trial continued for decades. The terrorists of the 1993 Mumbai attacks are still to be sentenced to death. Nearly half of the arrested terrorists die of old age. Our Nation has failed to award the death penalty to these terrorists. Lately, various Indian security agencies are effective in disrupting terror threats before their attacks. Terrorists are now being arrested before the attacks and their plans are being exposed before execution.

2. Pakistan resorting to ‘Hybrid war’
against India due to its inability to defeat India in a full-fledged war

India had won a glorious victory against Pakistan in the 1971 war. After facing this defeat, Pakistan began infiltration of terrorists and their support groups in the different States of India. They launched terrorist activities in Jammu & Kashmir. They exploded bombs in big cities such as Mumbai and Pune with the aim of creating financial instability in India. The National Democratic Alliance had a sweeping victory in the general elections in 2014. The Central Government adopted an aggressive approach against Pakistan and China. The launch of a surgical-strike, Balakot airstrike and a fitting reply to China in the Ladakh battle against China is credible evidence of India’s offensive defence strategy against Pakistan and China. This led Pakistan and China to change their approach and wage a hybrid war against India. A hybrid war is a military strategy that resorts to combining diplomacy with other methods such as spreading fake news against India, psychological war, cyber warfare, infiltration in strategic States of the Nation, provoking identity conflicts, portraying news reporters or defence experts as sympathetic to China, legal warfare, terrorist activities, spreading Naxalism or Maoism, illegal infiltration from Bangladesh, migration and bio-chemical war, etc.

3. Half of the Indian Army is
awake at night to protect the Nation

Almost all the terrorists operating in India have been trained by Pakistan or China. After being trained in Pakistan for six months, the terrorists infiltrate into Jammu & Kashmir. These terrorists infiltrate India through Line of Control, international border or sea route. To stop them from infiltrating, Indian troops remain in combat-preparedness all night along the India-Pak and India-China border. Of the 12 lakh troops deployed by the India Army, 6 lakh troops stay awake all night long to guard the borders. Indian Army always remains on high alert. Indian Army kills a huge number of Pakistan sponsored terrorists every year. However, the Indian Army pays for it by losing many Indian soldiers. Every year, more than 3,000 soldiers and officers from our army sacrifice their lives and suffer severe injuries.

4. Naxalism sponsored by China
needs to be confronted with an armed campaign against them

The central States of India are home to Naxal-Maoist insurgency. Their operations are dominant in the States of Bihar, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Their real identity is ‘Communist Party of India (Maoist-Leninist)’. Chinese soldiers launch terrorist activities against India through the medium of the Communist Party of India (M-L). There is no doubt that China supports these operations.

5. Bengal is the fort of
Bangladeshi infiltrators

The Bangladeshi infiltration into India is a huge concern. The illegal immigrants enter India through the North-East States. Bengal belongs to the Bangladeshi infiltrators.

6. Decline in terrorist activities in Kashmir due to the abrogation of Article 370

On 5^th August 2019, the Government of India revoked the special status of Jammu & Kashmir The Indian liberals argued that this move of the Indian Government has the potential to cause an increase in terrorist activities as a result of challenging China and Pakistan. However, the change in the security situation is visible to the world. There is peace in Ladakh. The terror activities in Kashmir have reduced significantly. Stone-pelting at the troops has stopped completely. Life has become peaceful and normal in Kashmir. There is a significant decline in the number of terrorists residing in Kashmir to less than 200 terrorists since the abrogation of Article 370 as compared to over 4,000 to 5,000 terrorists recorded prior to the abrogation.

– (Retd.) Brigadier Hemant Mahajan, Pune, Maharashtra.