Internal Security Trends and Incidents
The evolving role of the Colombo Security Conclave
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Colombo Security Conclave (CSC)
Mains level: vulnerability of the CSC to domestic political changes
Key Highlights:
- The Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) aims to promote a safe, secure, and stable Indian Ocean, with India playing a leadership role.
- The CSC’s revival in 2020, after a standstill since 2014, reflects India’s evolving strategic vision for the Indian Ocean.
- India seeks to institutionalize its role in the region, addressing security challenges and emerging threats through the CSC.
- China’s growing influence in the Indian Ocean is a significant factor driving the CSC’s revival, with Beijing investing in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and establishing a presence in key locations.
Key Challenges:
- Domestic political changes in member-states can impact the CSC’s effectiveness, as seen with the Maldives’ absence from a recent meeting.
- The nationalist and pro-China sentiments in member-states may hinder collaboration, affecting the CSC’s ability to address regional challenges.
- Despite concerns about China’s actions in the Indian Ocean, some regional countries may not view China as a threat, limiting the CSC’s collective response.
Key Terms/Phrases:
- Colombo Security Conclave (CSC)
- Indian Ocean
- Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)
- Maritime security
- Regional collaboration
- Extra-regional powers
- Indo-Pacific
- National Security Adviser (NSA)
Key Quotes:
- “The lack of capacity of island nations to secure the seas and counter transnational threats has continued to motivate India.”
- “China’s outreach to the Indian Ocean is to control crucial sea lines of communication and trade, limiting India’s influence.”
Key Statements:
- “The CSC offers India an opportunity to institutionalize its role, shape the regional security architecture, and better address existing and emerging threats.”
- “The strategic accommodation and flexibility of the CSC contribute to the security of the Indian Ocean.”
Key Examples/References:
- China’s naval capabilities, defense relationships, and infrastructure projects in the Indian Ocean.
- Maldives’ absence from a recent CSC meeting due to preferences for a close relationship with China or nationalist sentiments.
Key Facts/Data:
- The CSC was revived in 2020, with the inclusion of Mauritius, Seychelles, and Bangladesh.
- China’s investments in the Indian Ocean include the Belt and Road Initiative projects and control of Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port.
Critical Analysis:
- The vulnerability of the CSC to domestic political changes highlights challenges in maintaining consistent regional collaboration.
- The balance between addressing security concerns and managing relationships with China is crucial for the CSC’s success.
Way Forward:
- Strengthen institutional mechanisms within the CSC to mitigate the impact of domestic political changes.
- Continue to focus on the five pillars of cooperation, addressing maritime security, counter-terrorism, cyber-security, humanitarian aid, and disaster relief.
- Enhance efforts to build trust among member-states and address concerns related to nationalist and pro-China sentiments.
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Internal Security Trends and Incidents
Centre to probe Havana Syndrome Cases in India
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Havana Syndrome
Mains level: NA
Central Idea
- Havana Syndrome, a mysterious set of mental health symptoms experienced by US intelligence and embassy officials in India, has caught the attention of authorities.
What is Havana Syndrome?
- Cuban Incident: The term “Havana Syndrome” originated in Cuba in late 2016 when US officials at the newly opened US embassy in Havana reported symptoms like pressure in the brain, headaches, and disorientation. The cause of these symptoms initially sparked suspicions of a “sonic attack” orchestrated by Cuban intelligence.
- Subsequent Reports: Following the Cuban incident, similar symptoms were reported by American officials stationed in China, Russia, Poland, Georgia, Taiwan, Colombia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Austria, and even in Washington DC, including near the White House.
Havana Syndrome in India
- Sole Reported Case: As of July 2023, the 2021 incident involving a US intelligence officer in India is the only reported case of Havana Syndrome in the country.
- Indian Security Establishment: Indian security officials have claimed that they are not aware of any agency possessing such microwave-based counter-espionage technology.
- Geopolitical Considerations: Given India’s friendly relations with the US, officials find it unlikely that an Indian agency or foreign power would target US officials in this manner.
Possible Causes of Havana Syndrome
- Microwave Exposure: Scientific research and medical examinations of the victims have suggested that high-powered microwaves may have damaged or interfered with the nervous system, leading to the reported symptoms.
- Microwave Weapon: The syndrome was speculated to be caused by beams of high-powered microwaves sent through a specialized gadget known as a “microwave weapon.”
- Counter-Intelligence Tactic: Both Russia and the US have experimented with using microwaves as a counter-intelligence tactic since the Cold War.
Debunking the Havana Syndrome Theory
- Lack of Conclusive Evidence: Despite years of data collection and experiments, the US has not found conclusive evidence to support the existence of a “microwave weapon.”
- Psychological Illness Amplified: Some medical experts argue that the syndrome could be a psychological illness amplified by fear of being targeted.
- Impact on Relations: A report from several US security agencies in 2023 suggested that foreign adversaries were unlikely to be behind the “anomalous health incidents,” which may have impacted US-Cuba relations.
Conclusion
- The enigmatic Havana Syndrome continues to baffle experts and policymakers worldwide, with no definitive evidence of its origins and causes.
- As India examines the issue in response to the recent petition, the global mystery surrounding Havana Syndrome remains an ongoing concern for intelligence communities and governments alike.
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Internal Security Trends and Incidents
World Drug Report 2023: Expanding Illicit Drug Markets
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Measures to tackle drug trafficking
Mains level: Global Menace of Drug trafficking
Central Idea
- The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) recently released the World Drug Report 2023, shedding light on the escalating issue of drug use and the insufficiency of treatment services and interventions. The report highlights the increasing number of people who inject drugs, surpassing previous estimates, and emphasizes the pressing need for action amidst intersecting global crises.
“Relevance of this article: Prevalence of Drug trafficking in India, Public health and security concerns”
Key findings of the report
- Increased Number of People Who Inject Drugs: The report reveals that the global estimate of people who inject drugs in 2021 is 13.2 million, which is 18 percent higher than previously estimated. This significant increase highlights the growing prevalence of drug injection and the need for targeted interventions.
- Escalation in Global Drug Use: The report indicates that over 296 million people used drugs in 2021, representing a 23 percent increase compared to the previous decade. This alarming rise in drug use calls for comprehensive measures to address the root causes and consequences of substance abuse.
- Surge in Drug Use Disorders: The number of individuals suffering from drug use disorders has skyrocketed, reaching 39.5 million, a staggering 45 percent increase over the past ten years. This finding underscores the urgent need for accessible and effective treatment services to support those grappling with drug-related disorders.
- Impact of Drug Trafficking on the Environment and Crime: The analysis highlights that drug trafficking not only poses health risks but also accelerates environmental devastation and crime, particularly in the Amazon Basin.
- Treatment Disparities and Access Inequality: Access to treatment for drug use disorders remains highly unequal, with fewer than 20 percent of people receiving the necessary care. The report highlights the disparity in treatment access, particularly for women using amphetamine-type stimulants, with only 27 percent receiving treatment. Addressing these inequalities is crucial for providing equitable support to all individuals in need.
- Vulnerability of Youth: The report underscores the vulnerability of youth populations to drug use and substance use disorders in various regions. In Africa, 70 percent of individuals in treatment are under the age of 35.
Specific consequences of drug trafficking
- Environmental Devastation: The drug trafficking is accelerating environmental devastation, particularly in the Amazon Basin. The production of illicit drugs contributes to deforestation, pollution, and the use of harmful chemicals, leading to ecological harm and the loss of biodiversity.
- Crime and Violence: The drug trafficking contributes to increased crime rates and violence. The competition among drug trafficking networks for control over drug markets and routes can result in violent conflicts and endanger the safety of communities.
- Exacerbation of Global Crises: The drug trafficking compounds intersecting global crises, including conflicts and environmental challenges. The illicit drug trade contributes to instability, violence, and environmental degradation, further complicating efforts to address these crises.
The prevalence of drug trafficking in India
- Geographical Location: India is strategically located between the Golden Crescent (Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan) and the Golden Triangle (Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam), two major drug-producing regions in the world. This proximity makes India susceptible to the flow of drugs from these regions.
- Sandwiched Between Drug-Producing Regions: India finds itself “sandwiched” between the Golden Crescent and the Golden Triangle, acting as a transit route for drug shipments. The movement of drugs across the country poses a significant challenge for law enforcement agencies.
- Use of Innovative Techniques: Drug traffickers continually adapt to law enforcement measures by employing innovative techniques. The use of drones for drug and weapon supply, particularly in border areas like Punjab, has emerged as a new phenomenon in drug trafficking.
- Involvement of International Cartels: India has seen an increase in the involvement of international drug cartels, particularly South American cartels controlling the cocaine trade. These cartels often have connections with local drug lords, gangsters, and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) based in various countries.
- Linkages with Terrorism and Organized Crime: Drug trafficking networks have been found to have connections with terrorist organizations such as Lashkar-e-Toiba and Hizbul Mujahideen. The illicit money generated from the narcotics trade is often used to finance terrorism and fund other disruptive activities.
- Darknet Markets: The proliferation of darknet markets has disrupted traditional drug markets, making it more challenging to track and intercept drug shipments. Studies have indicated that a significant portion of the darknet is utilized for illicit drug trafficking.
Steps taken by India to address the issue of drug trafficking
- National Policy on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances: India has a comprehensive policy framework to address the issue of narcotics trade. The National Policy on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances provides a framework for controlling the illicit traffic in drugs, preventing drug abuse, and providing care and rehabilitation to drug addicts.
- Narcotics Control Bureau: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) is the nodal agency for combating drug trafficking in India. It works closely with other law enforcement agencies to prevent drug trafficking, intercept drug shipments, and prosecute drug traffickers.
- International cooperation: India has been cooperating with other countries to combat the narcotics trade. It has signed several bilateral and multilateral agreements to strengthen cooperation on drug trafficking, including the SAARC Convention on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances and the UN Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.
- Seizure of drugs: Law enforcement agencies have been seizing large quantities of drugs in recent years. In 2020, the NCB seized over 9,500 kg of drugs and arrested over 5,000 people in drug-related cases.
- Awareness campaigns: The government has been running awareness campaigns to educate people about the dangers of drug abuse. It has also been working with NGOs and civil society organizations to provide care and rehabilitation to drug addicts.
- Use of technology: Law enforcement agencies are using technology to track drug trafficking. For example, the NCB has been using social media and the dark web to track drug trafficking.
- Strengthening border security: India has been strengthening its border security to prevent the entry of drugs into the country. The government has been using modern technology, such as drones and sensors, to monitor the borders.
- Use of financial intelligence: Law enforcement agencies are using financial intelligence to track the money trail of drug traffickers. They are working closely with banks and financial institutions to identify suspicious transactions and freeze the assets of drug traffickers.
Way forward: Bridging the disparities in access to drug-related disorder treatment services
- Increase Funding and Resources: Governments and international organizations should allocate sufficient funding and resources to improve treatment services for drug-related disorders. This includes investment in infrastructure, trained healthcare professionals, and essential medications to ensure adequate and quality care.
- Strengthen Healthcare Systems: Efforts should be made to strengthen healthcare systems, particularly in regions where access to treatment is limited. This can be achieved by improving the training and capacity of healthcare professionals, establishing specialized treatment centers, and integrating drug-related disorder treatment into existing primary healthcare services.
- Enhance Prevention and Early Intervention: Emphasize the importance of prevention programs and early intervention strategies. Educate communities, schools, and families about the risks associated with drug use and promote healthy alternatives. Implement evidence-based prevention programs that target vulnerable populations, including youth, to reduce the demand for drugs and minimize the occurrence of drug-related disorders.
- Address Gender Disparities: Develop gender-responsive treatment approaches that take into account the specific needs and challenges faced by women with drug-related disorders. Increase women’s access to treatment services, ensure gender-sensitive care, and combat the societal stigma that may deter women from seeking help.
- Improve Data Collection and Monitoring: Enhance the monitoring of public health impacts and gather accurate and up-to-date data on drug use and treatment outcomes. This will enable policymakers and healthcare providers to make informed decisions and identify gaps in services, allowing for targeted interventions and resource allocation.
- Strengthen International Cooperation: Foster international cooperation and collaboration to combat drug trafficking, as it plays a significant role in perpetuating drug-related disorders and hindering access to treatment
- Promote Harm Reduction Strategies: Implement and expand harm reduction strategies such as needle and syringe programs, opioid substitution therapy, and overdose prevention initiatives. These strategies aim to minimize the negative consequences of drug use and provide support and care to individuals who are unable or unwilling to access treatment.
- Address Social and Economic Inequalities: Recognize and address the underlying social and economic factors that contribute to drug challenges. Efforts should focus on reducing poverty, improving education, providing employment opportunities, and addressing social inequalities.
Conclusion
- The World Drug Report 2023 serves as a stark reminder of the escalating drug use crisis and the urgent need for robust interventions. The report’s findings highlight the increasing number of people who inject drugs, the rise in drug-related disorders, and the detrimental effects of drug trafficking on the environment and society. It is crucial that public health, prevention efforts, and accessible treatment services take center stage in global agendas to ensure that no one is left behind.
Also read:
| [ORF] Narco-Terrorism in India |
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Internal Security Trends and Incidents
India Must Take Khalistan Extremism Seriously and Address The Root Causes
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Internal security
Central Idea
- The resurgence of Sikh extremism in the form of the self-styled Sikh extremist preacher Amritpal Singh, modelling himself on Bhindranwale of yore, has raised concerns in areas with a significant Sikh diaspora. The real cause for concern is that the current security dispensation has not learnt from past mistakes and needs to take appropriate action before the situation spirals out of control.
Background: Bhindranwale Phenomenon
- The resemblance of the self-styled Sikh extremist preacher, Amritpal Singh, to Bhindranwale is limited to style and lacks substance.
- However, the extremist fringe among Sikh youth, including the Sikh diaspora in Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US, seems to be galvanized by the imposter’s attempts to revive the Bhindranwale mystique.
- The links have been established by this ‘core group’ with pro-Khalistan groups such as the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), the Babbar Khasla, and the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF).
Lessons from the Past
- Inadequate current security dispensation: The current security dispensation does not appear to have learnt the right lessons from past mistakes.
- Operation Blue Star: The Bhindranwale phenomenon was not a sudden development, and if it were properly handled, it could have been checkmated well before 1984, and the subsequent violence leading to ‘Operation Blue Star’ and the damage caused to Akal Takht could have been avoided.
What was the Khalistan movement?
- Dates to pre-independence era: The Khalistan movement, which started in the 1940s during British rule, calls for establishing a separate nation for Sikhs. When India became independent and Punjab was partitioned, its leaders demanded a special status for the state. However, the Central Government did not pay attention to these demands, and Sikhs felt betrayed, leading to the idea of a separate nation growing substantially.
- Rise of Bhindranwale: Many individuals and organizations contributed to the Sikh revivalist movement; however, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale emerged as a charismatic leader after becoming the head of Damdami Taksal on August 25, 1977.
- Failure to fulfil regional demand: Punjabi political parties, such as the Sikh Akali Party, failed to fulfil the regional demands concerning river waters and the transfer of Chandigarh as a capital city to Punjab. The devolution of power gave rise to Bhindranwale’s image among the masses.
- Finally Military Operation: The military mission, OBS, was carried out between June 1 to June 10, 1984, to take control of key gurdwaras, including the Golden Temple in Amritsar, from Bhindranwale’s supporters. Bhindranwale was killed during the operation; however, in recent times, his image remains alive and well.
Why is it being revived?
- Political instability: Punjab in recent years has witnessed a political crisis leading to a change in governments, ruling political parties and CM’s giving chance for radical outfits to grow.
- Economic challenges: Punjab state has a high employment rate (According to data from the Centre’s Periodic Labour Force Survey 2019-20, Punjab’s unemployment rate is higher than the national average). Also, the year-long Farmers’ protest in 2021 and railways blockades have led to the creation of negative sentiments among investors about the state’s investment environment leading to decreasing investments in Punjab and rising unemployment.
- Rising communalism: multiple events of blasphemy have taken place in the state which is flaming the fire of communalism among the people of the state.
- Provocation from Pakistan: Investigations by security agencies suggest links between Khalistani groups and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) – further increasing the likelihood of feelings of separatism due to drug trafficking and networking through Sikh pilgrimages.
- Feeling to of persecuted minority: images of the 1984 anti-sikh riots and the topic of the non-persecution of culprits of the riots are being used to suggest that Sikhs are persecuted minority and thus they must have their own land in form of Khalistan.
Cause of concern
- Threat to national security and integrity: the resurgence of the Khalistan movement is a threat to national security similar to the Kashmir and NE insurgency.
- May darken Punjab’s future: a poor law and order situation may deter investors to invest in Punjab thus further deteriorating its economy and leading to spillover effects in social and political sectors.
- Involvement of diaspora: The idea of forming a separate state for Sikhs has died down in Punjab; however, it has attracted the attention of a large audience in the diaspora who now have settled in other nations for long and thus have lost their affinity with India as their homeland.
- Misuse of social media: which defies any international boundary, thus misused by separatists in Pakistan and other nations.
- Bilateral relations may be harmed: the Khalistan issue has already harmed Indo- Canada relations and now straining Indo-UK due to the conduction of Referendum 2020 in these countries despite the Indian Government’s objection.
Avoiding Misreading of Sentiments
- Wider perspective: Treating all that is happening now as evidence of a foreign conspiracy instead of facing up to the reality that this may be more than a mere emotional outburst of the Sikh extremist fringe is a grave mistake.
- Finding the real cause: Blaming the current violence on the drug mafia with links to Pakistan can at best be a proximate, but not the real cause.
Confronting the Threat
- Innovative ways: India needs to find ways and means to defeat the ‘siren call’ of radical extremists of every hue, whether they be Khalistanis or other kinds of extremists.
- Ensure balance and sense of unity: It needs to steer between the extremes of the right and left and ensure a greater sense of unity within the country, according to individual dignity and human progress, and demonstrating leadership in the comity of nations.
Way ahead
- The resurgence of Sikh extremism and the growing insecurity among Sikh youth and discontent prevailing among the Sikh peasantry needs to be addressed to prevent a repeat of the violent events that took place in the late 1970s to the 1990s.
- Intelligence analysis should be prioritized to detect the signs of growing insecurity and discontent.
- There is need for good intelligence to deal with the situation.
Conclusion
- India should not yield to the temptation of resorting to hard measures without understanding the true causes and join the ranks of nations that solely believe in strong-arm methods. India needs to effectively confront the threat posed by radical extremists, such as the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) and the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), while respecting liberal values and ensuring unity within the country.
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Internal Security Trends and Incidents
Internet Shutdowns in India: A Growing Concern
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Internet shutdowns in India and its impact
Central Idea
- Earlier this month, the Punjab government suspended mobile internet and SMS services for more than four days as it launched an operation to arrest a pro-Khalistani preacher. This is not an isolated incident in India, with the country recording the highest number of internet shutdowns in the world.
Internet shutdowns in the world
- India has recorded the highest number of internet shutdowns in the world.
- Such shutdowns are never or almost never implemented in most parts of Europe, North and South America, and Oceania, while they are rampant in Africa and Asia.
State-wise Instances of Internet Shutdowns
- Punjab: The Software Freedom Law Center has recorded eight such shutdowns in Punjab alone.
- Southern states: Southern states, on the other hand, have only recorded six such shutdowns in the same period, with no instance of internet shutdown in Kerala.
- Northern states: Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh have recorded the highest number of internet shutdowns in India.
Absence of Centralised Data
- Absence of data: The Central government does not collate data on internet shutdowns imposed by state governments, which was strongly recommended by the Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology.
- Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology: The Committee came down heavily on the use of internet shutdowns as a substitute for enforcing law and order and wanted the reasons, duration, decision of the competent authority and of the review committees to be noted for every internet shutdown, and for the information to be made public.
Need for Internet Shutdowns
- Civil unrest: Internet serves as a medium for the transmission of information through pictures, videos and text that have the potential to cause civil unrest and exacerbate the law and order.
- Fake news: Shutdowns in order to block the flow of information about government actions or to end communication among activists and prevent the spread of rumors and fake news.
- Rumors: Shutdown helps prevent the “spreading of rumors and misinformation using social media platforms which can hinder peace and law and order”.
- Preventive Response: Cutting off the Internet is both an early and preventive response to block restive groups to organize riots against the Government.
- National Interest: The Internet cannot be independent of national sovereignty. Therefore, the necessary regulation of the internet is a reasonable choice of sovereign countries based on national interests.
Costs of Internet Shutdowns
- Education: Shutdowns also impact education, as students and teachers are unable to access online learning materials and tools. This can lead to a disruption of education and a negative impact on academic performance.
- For instance: A UN report noted that in Kashmir, long-standing restrictions on connectivity undermined the education of students relying on remote education,
- Economy: Businesses that rely on the internet to operate may suffer significant financial losses during shutdowns. This is particularly true for online retailers, e-commerce platforms, and other digital service providers.
- For instance: A 2018 paper estimated that India lost around $3 billion between 2012 and 2017 due to shutdowns.
- Health: The internet plays a critical role in disseminating health information and enabling telemedicine. Shutdowns can make it difficult for people to access vital health information or receive medical care.
- Communication: Internet shutdowns severely limit people’s ability to communicate with one another, both within the affected region and with the rest of the world. This can make it difficult to coordinate protests or other forms of social and political activism, as well as to stay in touch with friends and family members.
- Human rights: Internet shutdowns violate people’s human rights, including freedom of expression and access to information. They can also hinder the ability of journalists and activists to report on human rights abuses.
- Politics: Shutdowns can be used to suppress political opposition and prevent dissent. This is particularly true during elections or times of political unrest, where the government may seek to limit the spread of information that could be used against them.
Mains Question
Q. What are the reasons behind the high number of internet shutdowns in India also discuss socio economic impact of such shutdowns.
Conclusion
- Internet shutdowns in India are a growing concern, with a significant impact on education, healthcare, and the economy. However, the government has no mechanism to assess the socioeconomic impact of internet shutdowns. It is also important to consider the principle of proportionality and the socioeconomic impact of such shutdowns while enforcing law and order.
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Internal Security Trends and Incidents
What is the Five Eyes (FYEY) Alliance?
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Five Eyes (FYEY) Alliance, Munich Security Dilogue, Raisina Dilogue
Mains level: India's global prowess
The annual Raisina Dialogue in Delhi held this year by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval will host intelligence agency chiefs of several countries.
What is the conference about?
- The conference is modelled on the lines of the annual Munich Security Conference and Singapore’s Shangri-La dialogue.
- It is expected to bring together heads and deputy heads of the top intelligence and security organisations from more than 20 — mostly Western countries and their allies.
- Intelligence chiefs and deputies from Australia, Germany, Israel, Singapore, Japan and New Zealand are among those expected to attend the conference.
- The meet is held on the sidelines of the “Five eyes alliance” of the U.S., U.K., Canada, New Zealand and Australia, who coordinate on terrorism and security issues.
What is the Five Eyes Alliance?
- The Five Eyes (FVEY) is an intelligence alliance comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
- These countries are parties to the multilateral UKUSA Agreement, a treaty for joint cooperation in signals intelligence.
- The origins of the FVEY can be traced to informal secret meetings during World War II between British and American code-breakers.
- It was started before the US formally entered the war, followed by the Allies’ 1941 Atlantic Charter that established their vision of the post-war world.
Back2Basics: Munich Security Conference
- The Munich Security Conference is an annual conference on international security policy that has been held in Munich, Bavaria, Germany since 1963.
- It brings together heads of state, diplomats and business leaders from the world’s leading democracies for three days of meetings and presentations.
- It is the world’s largest gathering of its kind.
- Over the past four decades the MSC has become the most important independent forum for the exchange of views by international security policy decision-makers.
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Internal Security Trends and Incidents
Why India needs a single agency to guard its borders
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: CAPF
Mains level: Paper 3- Issues with multiple agencies guarding borders
Context
Recent developments warrant a comprehensive review of border management to ensure the all-weather security of our borders.
What makes India’s border management difficult?
- India shares land borders with Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar, which stretch approximately 15,106 km.
- In addition, we have an approximately 3,323 km-long LoC with Pakistan, which further extends to the rechristened 110 km stretch of “Actual Ground Position Line” (AGPL) dividing the Siachen glacier region.
- Further east, we have the 3,488 km LAC with China.
- We share maritime boundaries with Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar and Indonesia; we have a 7,683 km coastline and an approximately 2 million sq km exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
- This makes India’s task more complex than most other countries.
Multiple agencies securing borders
- Complexity is accentuated by the fact that along with the army, we have multiple other security agencies — the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) and the Paramilitary Forces (PMF) — sharing the responsibility.
- While the army is deployed along the LoC and AGPL, the Border Security Force (BSF) looks after the international border with Pakistan and Bangladesh.
- Guarding the LAC has been assigned to the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Assam Rifles.
- The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) is responsible for guarding the borders with Nepal and Bhutan.
- The Assam Rifles looks after our border with Myanmar.
- In a nutshell, in addition to the army, we have four agencies guarding borders with six neighbours.
- Conversely, maritime borders are guarded by a single agency — the Coast Guard.
Need for review of the border management
- There is a lack of a coherent policy on training, planning and the conduct of guarding operations among various outfits.
- Overall coordination is also affected.
- Our adversary on the western border has often escalated violations by resorting to the prolonged use of military resources.
- Chinese provocations along the LAC are military operations.
- Clearly, the peace-time scenario is now by and large militarised.
Way forward
- Single security agency: In this scenario, India needs a single security agency adequately equipped, suitably armed and trained in advanced military drills and sub-unit tactics to guard our borders.
- Manpower from Army: Further, to augment the battle efficiency, a fixed percentage of manpower, including the officer cadre, should be drawn on deputation from the army.
- Paramilitary force under Ministry of Defence: To ensure the desired training and operational standards, this single security agency should be designated as a paramilitary force under the Ministry of Defence and operate under the army.
- Mergers: The ITBP and the SSB should be fully merged into the new outfit; the BSF and CRPF still have important internal security duties and can be partially merged.
- The reorganised Assam Rifles too should retain its role of conducting counter-insurgency operations and act as a reserve for the army for conventional operations.
- Most countries have raised specialised and dedicated armed bodies for border security.
- Iran has the Border Guard Command, Italy has the Border Police Service, Russia has created a Border Guard Service, whereas in the US, it is under Homeland Security.
- Most of these countries, based on threat perception and for better combat cohesion, have placed these organisations under the command of the armed forces.
Conclusion
India should adopt a single agency with adequate resources and training to deal with the evolving challenges.
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Internal Security Trends and Incidents
Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) in India
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Left-Wing Extremism
Six Maoists including four women cadres were killed morning in an “exchange of fire” with a joint team of Telangana and Chhattisgarh police in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh.
What is Naxalism?
- The term ‘Naxal’ derives its name from the village Naxalbari of district Darjeeling in West Bengal, where the movement originated in 1967 under the leadership of Charu Majumdar and Kanu Sanyal.
- It refers to the use of violence to destabilize the state through various communist guerrilla groups.
- Naxalites are far-left radical communists who derive their political ideology from the teachings of Mao Zedong.
History and evolution
- Russian Revolution: Naxalism in India, like any other leftist movement around the globe draws its ideological basis from the Russian revolution.
- Overthrowing Tsarist Regime: Lenin successfully fought against the Czarist Rule through a combination of peasant movement and an armed struggle.
- Marxian ideology of class struggle: The prime intent was to bestow power in the hands of the exploited and marginalized and enforce societal control over governance and nation building.
- Neo-Marxism: After the success of the Lenin-led revolution in Russia, the intellectual class in many countries got inspired. Prominent amongst them were Fidel Castro and Mao Zedong.
Root cause of origin in India
- Corporate exploitation: Since Eastern India is rich in natural resources including forests, minerals and mines, tribal face exploitation and harassment from government and corporate bodies targeting to extract those resources.
- Tribal alienation: Tribal communities have been systematically alienated from their traditional rights over natural resources after independence.
- Livelihood losses: Tribal livelihood is at stake due to depletion of natural resource base.
- Forceful displacement: Forceful displacement from their homeland destroys their traditional governance system.
- Absence of governance: In such exploited areas, the absence of governance becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy since the delivery systems are extinguished through killings and intimidation.
- Foreign provocations: Many of LWE outfits are supported by external forces inimical to India and the Maoists consider such alliances as strategic assets.
Other factors:
- Oppression and HR violations by Security Forces e.g. AFSPA
- Violation of Constitutional Protections under PESA and FRA
- Prevalence of Acute Poverty
Impact of LWE
- Romanticism without a cause: Some sections of the society, especially the younger generation, have romantic illusions about the Maoists, arising out of an incomplete understanding of their ideology of Class –Struggle.
- Extreme violence: Their doctrine glorifies violence as the primary means to overwhelm the existing socio-economic and political structures.
- Destruction of governance mechanism: LWEs aims at creating a vacuum at the grassroots level of the existing governance structures by killing lower-level government officials, police personnel of the local police stations and the people’s representatives of the PRIs.
- Radicalization of youths: After creating a political and governance vacuum, they coerce the local population to join the movement.
- Urban-Maoism: Many extremists have facilitated mass-mobilization in semi-urban and urban areas through ostensibly democratic means often led by well-educated intellectuals.
Outcomes of perpetrating LWE
The Leftist organizations skilfully use state structures and legal processes to further the Maoist agenda and weaken the enforcement regime through:
- Recruitment of ‘professional revolutionaries’
- Raising funds for the insurgency
- Creating urban shelters for underground cadres
- Providing legal assistance to arrested cadres and
- Mass- mobilization by agitating over issues of relevance/ convenience
Govt initiatives for LWE affected areas
- Aspirational Districts: The MHA has been tasked with the monitoring of the Aspirational districts programme in 35 LWE affected districts.
- HRD measures: Building of schools under the Eklavya model.
- Road Connectivity Project for LWE affected areas (RRP-II): This aims for improving road connectivity in LWE affected States. Under this, 9279 km of roads and 392 bridges are sanctioned.
- Naxal Surrender Policy: It aims to wean away misguided youth and hardcore naxalites who have strayed into the fold of the naxal movement and cannot find a way back.
SAMADHAN doctrine: It encompasses the entire strategy of government from short-term policy to long-term policy formulated at different levels. SAMADHAN stands for-
- S- Smart Leadership
- A- Aggressive Strategy
- M- Motivation and Training
- A- Actionable Intelligence
- D- Dashboard Based KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and KRAs (Key Result Areas)
- H- Harnessing Technology
- A- Action plan for each Theatre
- N- No access to Financing
Way forward
- Indian counterinsurgency has to work with a dual objective of defeating the insurgents militarily and fully quell the insurgent impulses. This will need institutional overhauls.
- States must do more to synergize their efforts by launching coordinated operations, thereby denying Maoists any space for maneuverability.
- On parallel grounds, it is also important to segregate the population from the insurgents both operationally and ideologically.
- The conflict over the distribution of resources can be mended with economic development.
With inputs from:
https://www.mha.gov.in/division_of_mha/left-wing-extremism-division
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Internal Security Trends and Incidents
A holistic review of internal security challenge and response to them is needed
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 3- LWE challenge
The article highlights the issues facing India’s internal security architecture and suggests the restructuring of roles and capacity building to address the challenge.
Recent setback to internal security (IS) capability
- The COMBING OPERATION by local and central police forces in the Tekulguda region of Bastar went terribly wrong and resulted in the death of 22 security personnel.
- This tragic incident is a major and embarrassing setback to the IS (internal security) capability of India at many levels and highlights the challenge that LWE (left-wing extremism) continues to pose.
Strategic inadequacies
- India has been dealing with three variants of the internal security challenge for decades.
- These three are: 1) a proxy war and terrorism in Kashmir 2) sub-national separatist movements in the Northeast. 3) the Naxal-Maoist insurgency ( LWE) in the Red Corridor.
- And these challenges have warranted different responses.
- The first two strands have been reasonably contained.
- LWE and the current Maoist movement has its genesis in poor governance, lack of development in the tribal belt and an oppressive/exploitative hierarchy of the state and society.
- In November 2005, then PM Manmohan Singh described the LWE challenge as the most serious security threat to India and exhorted the professionals to evolve appropriate responses.
Need for restructuring
- One of the recommendations of the Kargil Review Committee (KRC) report was the restructuring of the role and the tasks of the para-military forces particularly with reference to command and control and leadership functions.
- This critical component of restructuring the leadership of the central police forces (in this case the CRPF and BSF) has not been addressed, much less redressed.
- By training, the police officer is expected to be a competent Superintendent and to maintain law and order.
- This is not the skill-set that is relevant when an officer has to “command” and lead his men into insurgency operations.
- In the current scenario, barring a few exceptions, many of the senior police officers (IPS cadre) who are introduced into the central police forces at senior ranks have little or no platoon/battalion experience.
Consider the question “What are the factors making Left Wing Extremism such a persistent internal security problem for India? Suggest the measure to improve the internal security architecture in India.”
Conclusion
The political leadership of the country needs to act and complete the task of restructuring and capacity building to address India’s internal security challenge.
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Internal Security Trends and Incidents
Information war
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 3- Information war against India
Information war waged against India from across the border needs consideration. Three factors have triggered the war in the realm of information. This article examines the way in which it is perpetrated.
Factors
- Following three triggers are responsible for Pakistan’s information war.
- 1) The Balakot attack of February 2019.
- Balakot demolished Pakistan’s presumed nuclear equivalence that guaranteed that India would not retaliate against terrorist attacks
- 2) The return of the BJP government in the May 2019 elections-which signalled that India would follow aggressive muscular policy.
- 3) The August 2019 revision of Article 370.
- The Article 370 decision demolished the centrepiece of Pakistan’s nationalism build on Kashmir.
- The move also raised apprehensions about India’s plans for Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
- These developments have forced it to shift the emphasis of its anti-India strategy from fomenting terrorism supported by an information war component to an information war supported by terrorism.
How the information war is waged
- The ISI and the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) two main instruments for the furtherance of this policy.
- The ISPR has, over the years, recruited thousands of youth, trained them in the mechanics of social media and used them to project anti-India themes.
- The core Pakistani objective is to demolish “Brand India” by attacking its key components — an inclusive and secular society, democratic polity, decisive government, a developing economic powerhouse and strong foreign policy.
- The expectation is that such a strategy would adversely impact India’s secular and democratic credentials, scare foreign investment and lead to questions about its international image.
- The key platforms for this strategy are Twitter, WhatsApp, YouTube and Facebook.
- A large number of fake social media accounts, especially on Twitter, have been created.
- The use of handles with phoney Middle Eastern identities is the latest addition to its bag of tricks.
Themes of information war
- Internal developments and dissent in India have been manipulated, packaged and used to develop a narrative damaging India’s social fabric.
- On J&K, the key themes are: Kashmir is a “disputed territory” awaiting solution under the UN resolutions; India needs to talk to Pakistan to resolve the issue and since India refuses to talk, there must be international intervention, the Indian Army is violating the human rights of Kashmiris.
Consider the question “Internet has made waging information war easier. Examine the threat posed by the information war to Indian polity. Suggest the measures to contain the threat emanating from the information war.”
Conclusion
Even though the Indian polity is strong, such persistent venomous attacks can temporarily damage our social fabric. We must not allow ourselves, wittingly or unwittingly, to fall prey to such machinations to polarise society, even temporarily.
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Internal Security Trends and Incidents
How IS regroups and its threat to India
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much.
Mains level: Paper 3- With the presence of sleeper cell in India and ability of IS to co-opt a local affiliate makes the IS a major security challenge for India.
IS has shown its ability to strike by regrouping and co-opting local affiliates be it the case of Ester Sunday attack in Sri Lanka or a recent attack on a Gurudwara in Afghanistan. For India, the presence of sleeper cells and their links with the Islamic jihad group has internal security implications. We have covered an op-ed dealing with the Gurudwara attack and discussed the futility of the US-Taliban peace deal.
Security threat of IS to India and South Asia
- In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, there was speculation about the degree to which al-Qaeda had been able to make inroads in India.
- In recent years, the focus has shifted to the IS.
- The creation of an IS-Khorasan (IS-K) in early 2015 with a visible presence in Afghanistan-Pakistan, seemed to suggest that the group is now targeting South Asia.
- The recent terror attack on a gurdwara in Kabul (March 25) was also claimed by the IS. The IS released a photograph of one of a resident of Kasargod in Kerala
- According to India’s leading terrorism think-tank SATP (South Asia Terrorism Portal), 99 persons from India were confirmed to have joined the IS in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.
Question about the ” Over-ground worker” of the terrorist organisation was asked by the UPSC in 2019.
Close intelligence cooperation within and beyond South Asia
- Last October, the NIA disclosed that it had arrested 127 IS sympathisers from across India since 2014, and the highest number of 33 were from Tamil Nadu.
- The arrests by NIA were made throughout the country and not from a specific region.
- This degree of spread is testimony to the close watch the Indian security agencies are maintaining concerning the IS.
- One may conjecture that close intelligence cooperation has been established within and beyond South Asia.
- The pattern that now obtains is that countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan have their own internal surveillance in place to monitor the activities of the IS-K.
Ability of IS to regroup and ally with a domestic affiliate
- The IS has demonstrated a proclivity to re-group by co-opting or merging with credible domestic affiliates, even if they are little-known.
- In Afghanistan, the IS-K has sought to position itself favourably in the factional tussle, and the Kabul gurdwara attack is seen as part of this murderous strategy.
- Pakistan connection: Islamic terror groups in the Af-Pak region are deemed to be as credible as the support that they receive from the deep-state in Pakistan.
- It is pertinent that the main accused in the Kabul gurdwara attack is Aslam Faroqi, a Pakistani national.
Conclusion
The ability of IS to co-opt a local affiliate makes it a credible threat for India where there is a significant presence of the sleeper cells. In the light of that threat India and the other affected nations will have to strive individually and collectively to foil such nefarious designs.
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Internal Security Trends and Incidents
[op-ed snap] Maoist rebellion: policy fade-out, policy fade-in
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much.
Mains level: Paper 3- Threat of Left Wing Extremism and ways to deal with it.
Context
When much is made of peace talks with rebels in Northeast India, avoidance of peace talks with Maoist rebels is strange.
States left to deal with the Maoists
- Scale and extent of the problem: Officially in 2019, there are 11 states and 90 affected districts.
- State subject: This is because policing and maintaining law and order are matters devolved to states.
- The approach adopted to deal with the problem: According to MHA-
- Capacity building: Primarily by capacity building of the state governments.
- Areas of capacity building: Capacity building is to be carried out in areas of security and development. This will continue with the-
- Better police training.
- Better intelligence gathering.
- Reinforcing police stations in conflict zones.
- And recruiting locals into auxiliary forces.
- Support by MHA: MHA will continue to provide the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and other paramilitaries under its command.
- Support of NTRO: Intelligence gathering outfits such as the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO).
- NTRO has in the past year increased drone surveillance over the densely forested Abujhmad area in southwest Chhattisgarh, which remains the main rebel hub.
The success achieved so far
- Influence reduced to 90 districts: The policies so far has certainly contained the rebels across 90 affected districts.
- Surrender and rehabilitation policy: Most Maoist-affected states in India have a surrender and rehabilitation policy.
- Surrender policy along with search and destroy : Surrender policy rides in tandem with search-and-destroy missions that police and paramilitaries provide.
- This pincer has massively depleted rebel leadership and ranks with regular killings, arrests, and surrender of its leaders and cadres.
Return of conflict displaced people
- It is crucial for the conflict-displaced to return to their homes.
- Issues related to return of displaced: Agencies discourage those returning from going back to their old home and instead are offered state-mandated enclaves.
- No or little economic imperatives: Those returning are offered little economic imperative besides daily wage labour and scrambling for government handouts.
- Some government jobs: For some, jobs are offered in
- That is, in any case, the present for much of the 50,000 or so who did not manage to escape to Telangana and elsewhere.
Conclusion
- The central government would do well to focus here and in beginning negotiations for peace.
- The Left-wing rebellion, a reality for over 50 years, is difficult to end until poor governance is improved.
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