National Security Doctrine for Global Reach continues...

Both the external and internal environment are changing at an incredibly fast pace, with developments in nuclear weapons and missiles, increasing cross-border terrorism, the emergence of ‘non-state actors’, the growth of religious fundamentalism, the narcotics-arms nexus, illegal migration and left wing and ethnic extremism, impacting upon the security of the country. The rapid technological developments underway at the same time not only facilitate these events by reducing our reaction time but they also add entirely new dimensions of threats and challenges.

Amidst these dramatic developments, the traditional structures and processes for the management of national security are under considerable stress. Not only are most of them nearly 60 years old but their effectiveness has also, over time, been feeble. The national security establishment needs to be suitably restructured and strengthened, to cope with the new and emerging challenges facing us in the areas of Intelligence, Internal Security, Border and Defence Management, so as to help develop a more efficient and cost effective national security system for the 21st century to facilitate national renaissance.

India despite being a billion strong in population and a world leader in software and computer technology, has instead become over the years, a beleaguered nation state, haplessly trying to put out the fire of terrorism and secessionism in every corner of India. Today, about 40 per cent of the Indian army is deployed directly or indirectly in restoring civil order. New areas of possible insurgency are opening up suddenly. The LTTE backed Tamil extremists, for example, now flushed with ransom money obtained from bandit Veerappan, and with its stooges in ministerial office at the Centre, are positioned today to strike at the civil order in the state of Tamil Nadu; and with their compact with PWG, ULFA, Naxalites, Maoists and Pakistan’s ISI, they can create a serious disorder.

While erosion of the might of the Indian state has taken place steadily over the last six decades, the last ten years have seen a significant acceleration in that depressing downward trend.

to be continued.....