By Dr AK Srivastava
“The life of most people on earth is better than it ever has been in history, and yet the sense of uncertainty, dissatisfaction, and anger has never seemed higher. By historical standards, the world today is much less inequitable, unfair, capriciously oppressive, murderous, and imperial than before. Paradoxically, deep racial, cultural, & ethnic panics are evident in all societies, including the most advanced. The tension & the dynamic continue between cosmopolitanism versus nostalgic reaction, between regimentation versus an open society.” – Shivshankar M
All nations face some challenges to their internal and external security. There are different dimensions and gravity levels to these security threats. Basically, internal security threats are those that trouble a nation within the borders of its territory. External security threats come from foreign countries and other sources that operate from outside the borders. The Ministry of Home Affairs is responsible for dealing with all the threats to security inside the borders of the country. Its job is to maintain law and order in the country through the police and other forces. It can also take the help of the military in very difficult circumstances like during a civil war or a severe natural calamity. The government helps its subjects live in peace and tranquillity by implementing the rules of the nation.
It is seen that, sometimes, internal forces are backed or supported by external forces to create a variety of problems in a country. Similarly, it is also observed that sometimes external forces are helped by internal agencies. All this is quite common in India. It is the prime duty of the government to protect the integrity and sovereignty of the nation and to help all citizens remain safe irrespective of their age, caste, sex, region, language and financial status. We have to respect and honour the concept of co-existence and communal harmony.
First of all, we discuss the problem of terrorism related to J&K. Since independence, the country has been facing a lot of militancy in J&K, and it has caused enormous loss of lives, money and natural resources. It is unfortunate both neighbours could never live in peace and this state became a bone of contention. The situation is very complex, and one part of J&K has been under the control of Pakistan. Recently, India has abolished the special status of J&K by quashing Article 370. Now JK is a hundred percent integral part of India, and all the inhabitants of this region have to follow the Constitution of India. Both nations have fought three wars on this issue. Numerous sessions of dialogue, meetings and national and international seminars have not been able to settle this matter. This is a typical example of an internal security threat backed by forces outside the country. Constant infiltration of terrorists from Pakistan has been a problem for the Indian army and police. It has also invited a lot of international criticism of Pakistan. The social, economic and political fabric of the state is in jeopardy due to this problem. Many times, terrorists have targeted poor and innocent citizens of India living in other states. It is a matter of great satisfaction that there is peace and tranquillity after the abrogation of Article 370 and many scheme of progress and development are being carried out successfully.
Insurgency in the north-east region has also been bothering the government of India since independence. Initially, Naga movements in the north-east and then ethno-linguistic separatist movements in Nagaland, Assam, Mizoram, Tripura, Manipur, the problems kept creeping in. Different leaders and organisations with diverse social and political interests were brought under control by both persuasion and military power. It is encouraging to see that the democratic setup with duly elected governments has been functioning smoothly. The credit goes to the political will as well as the military power of the nation. But even today, sometimes they extremists to create problems in order to spoil the peace and harmony of the region.
Left Wing Violence started in 1967 with the agrarian rebellion of the Santhal tribes in Naxalbari village, West Bengal. Poverty, caste-based oppression, unemployment and exploitation by the powerful social fabric were the main issues behind this violent movement. Initially, it was successfully brought under control by the powerful government and Naxals were forced to run away and hide in the forests of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, MP and Chhattisgarh. But they reappeared with renewed force and power in the 1980s and 1990s. They attacked many places in their region and came up to central India. Repeated violence and bloodshed shocked the nation many times. They started attacking the police, the army and all other government agencies. Consequently, public movement by road and railway was greatly hampered in their areas. It is clear that their power is declining but whenever they get an opportunity, they strike back in their traditional and crude manner. The government is taking the help of all sorts of forces available to face their challenges. They have their presence felt in almost ten states and more than hundred districts.
India is a secular nation with a diverse plurality of religions and ethnic groups speaking numerous languages. It is a challenge to maintain harmony and peace among them. Right from the time we achieved independence, communal clashes and riots have gripped the nation on several minor issues. The nation was divided on the basis of religious beliefs. But a good percentage of Muslims decided to settle back in India even after partition. They had numerous reasons to stay back and settle in India. But this led to constant communal clashes after independence and the ruthless killings of innocent people left an everlasting scar on the nation. Similarly, sections of the Sikh community also showed their inclination to have a separate state. It is nice that good sense has prevailed and their separatist movement has almost faded away with the passage of time. The government had to employ all sorts of strategies to re-establish peace and harmony.
A country of more than 1.4 billion people following different faiths is a challenge for the government. We can have better communal understanding through literacy and mutual love and respect. Communal harmony is the bone of peace and prosperity in any nation.
Similarly, regionalism and inter-state disputes are also quite challenging for the leadership of the country. Regional political parties with limited interests fail to see the bigger picture and concentrate on immediate gains. Problems like distribution of water, issues of employment and preferences of languages should be handled sagaciously and all citizens need to give space to others respecting the plurality of the country.
Cybercrimes are the latest menace troubling the internal security of our nation. It is true that computers and the internet have contributed immensely to our personal and professional fronts. They have also been instrumental in progress and development in multiple areas of national interest. But they are also a security threat. Hackers are always keen to steal our information and create problems. They can stop or block various websites, and it may hamper air traffic control endangering the lives of numerous people. Similarly, secret information regarding the defence matters of the nation may also be stolen. They may use the information against the interests of our nation. We have already experienced numerous bank frauds which have harmed our personal and national interests. It is estimated that Cybercrimes are increasing with the speed of 5 to 6 percent every year in our country.
Illegal trafficking of drugs and narcotics is another menace troubling the nation. It spoils our youth and damages the future of our nation. Narcotics and drugs reach us through illegal ways crossing international borders. They are transported through Pakistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Nepal. It is a big problem in Punjab where infiltration from the Pakistani side is always done with the purpose of bringing drugs and narcotic goods. This is an easy source of earning money as such items are expensive in our country. This menace has the potential to destroy the young generation and cause heavy national loss. The government is working hard to stop this problem. It is an expensive affair to employ BSF and CRPF to control it.
Corruption is also another security threat as its roots go very deep. We read many stories of corruption involving people from top to bottom. It also reflects our national character. We achieved independence after a lengthy struggle of hundreds of years. Thousands of freedom fighters died so that we could relish the nectar of freedom. But corruption is like a termite in our roots. It is easy to fight a visible enemy, but it is very challenging to fight an invisible enemy. Besides the government, every citizen should take a pledge to make the country corruption-free. The impact of corruption can be discerned in the failure of administration on various fronts.
The problem of overpopulation has made all progress and development meagre or inadequate. It has also generated several other problems like unemployment, corruption, disparities in the lifestyle of people. It is really difficult to manage everything to the expectations of such a large number of people. The government has been trying to check this overgrowth of population but, so far, the success rate is not encouraging. Literacy and awareness have contributed to some extent. There is a vital need to start a massive operation in this area. Stringent laws and motivating public opinion in the larger interest of the nation should go hand in hand to achieve this mammoth task.
Finally, all citizens have to play their role in this epic task. The country belongs to all of us. We have to maintain a judicious balance between our rights and duties. Let us understand that we are living in the most crucial time when the nation needs our dedicated and committed service. Mere discussions and policies will not help us. It is the implementation of policies with vigour and a deep sense of enthusiastic commitment that will bring the desired result. It is the duty of every person to develop the national language or perform service that serves in one way or another to enhance unity, progress and peace.
(Dr AK Srivastava is Principal, DAV Inter College, Dehradun)
