Beef up India’s security

Beef up India’s security

"The year 2010 witnessed the rare phenomenon of leaders of all the permanent Security Council members visiting India, thereby acknowledging India’s emergence on the world stage"

by Lt Gen Kamal Davar (retd)

The first decade of the millennium has faded into eternity with the world witnessing unprecedented violence attributable to the expanding footprint globally of jehadi terrorism, economic upheavals caused by a severe recession and deepening chasms in the world community to manage the world’s environment and climate. Through all this turmoil, the UN stood a mute spectator to the unwarranted nuclear ambitions of some nations like North Korea, Iran and Mynamar, besides not being able to thwart the irresponsible assertiveness of the emerging superpower China.

Nearer home, the Af-Pak region has continued in its downward spiral of extreme and daily doses of violence with the beleaguered Afghan President Hamid Karzai being forced to reintegrate some among his deadly enemies from the Taliban to broker an uneasy peace for the survival of the Kabul government. India’s terror-exporting neighbour, Pakistan, continued with its myopic and self-destructive anti-India stance while dangerously sliding into fundamentalism. The assassin of the liberal Pakistan Governor Salman Taseer being hailed as a Ghazi (religious warrior) and showered with rose petals a couple of days ago even by lawyers in Lahore symbolises the Pakistan of today struggling for a moderate Islamic identity.

Nevertheless, the last decade was one of promise for ‘India Unbound’ to realise its vast potential in the coming years. Even though facing varied challenges, India unmistakably stands at the threshold of its long-awaited destiny, notwithstanding the deplorable efforts of some political parties in India to shake the very foundations of certain institutions for which India is respected the world over.

However, not much can be ever achieved in these highly violent times if India does not accord adequate attention to security matters to ensure a secure and safe environment within and around us. This aspect, for the past many years, has not been given the importance it deserves and the minimum acceptable combat capabilities of our armed forces have been slipping to alarmingly low levels vis-a-vis our potential adversaries. This aspect has to be addressed by the government with the urgency it deserves for capital acquisitions and military capabilities take a very long time to develop.

It is a basic security imperative for the Indian armed forces to maintain a reasonable and deterrent capability to cater to a two-front threat in a nuclear overhang in the worst-case scenario. The massive infrastructural development in Tibet, increasing Chinese presence in Khyber-Pakhtunwa, parts of occupied Kashmir and in the restive Baluchistan underscore a growing Pak-China military axis directed against India and should be a cause of much security concern to us.

In the last one year and a half or so, fortunately, in the areas of internal security and intelligence, under a determined Home Minister, some overdue steps have been initiated which need to be followed up with vigour to combat not only the formidable terror threats from outside our borders but also the alarming Maoist/Naxal threats from within the Indian heartland where out of 619 districts, nearly 220 have been grossly affected. The growing violence perpetrated on governmental assets and innocent villagers by the Naxals is a grim reminder of serious voids in our internal security preparedness.

The Indian security forces, including the BSF and the CRPF, need to gear up to counter the alarmingly growing internal security threats by motivational leadership, penetrative intelligence at the grassroots level, ensuring adequate prophylactic measures and innovative tactics against these anti-national elements, who also now reportedly have established links with their counterparts from Nepal, the Lankan LTTE and, not surprisingly, with Pakistan’s ISI.

The excellent example of the Indian Navy, now overseeing anti-terrorist operations emanating in the maritime dimension, along with the Coast Guard and the new Coastal State Police set-ups could be replicated in the hinterland also by the ground forces. Since 2010 was virtually a terror-free year for India, except Jammu and Kashmir, the notorious ISI with its henchmen of Lashkar-e-Toiba and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen will plan to go into an overdrive all across the country and also try to reignite unrest in the Valley, using innocent youth and children.

Also, in concert with its dormant cells of SIMI in India, it will endeavour to mastermind blasts and violence wherever our security falters. The security of our countless strategic assets, critical infrastructure and institutions has to be fully geared up. Meanwhile, the government must also speedily implement the major recommendations of the various national commissions on police reforms to energise the police and the para-miltary forces.

With ten years having elapsed since the last major security review (post Kargil), the government may wish to carry out an all-encompassing security review to look at all challenges to the country in the coming decade, including the military, internal security, nuclear and space dimensions. Thus, the establishment of a National Security Commission to look into all these critical aspects is recommended.

As we endeavour to strive for a multi-faceted relationship with a now friendly Bangladesh, notwithstanding its old linkages with the Pakistani armed forces and the ISI, India must establish a professional relationship with that country’s security organs. Bangladesh’s efforts to curb extremist activities and its successful drive against terrorists need to be appreciated not just in South Asia but the world over. India’s healing touch is also required in Sri Lanka, Mynamar and, importantly, in Nepal too.

A nuclear-armed Pakistan, despite being in danger of imploding and becoming dysfunctional by the day, refuses to see reason and continues to be the incubator and exporter of terrorism to India, Afghanistan and the world over. Until the ISI and the Pakistan army wash their hands clearly off their erstwhile ‘strategic assets’, namely the Afghan Taliban, the Haqqanni network, pro-Taliban warlords like Gulbuddin Hekayatmar and its sponsoring of home-grown terrorist organisations like Jaish-e-Mohd, Lashkar-e-Toiba and Sipahe-e-Sanghvi, peace and stability would not return to Pakistan.

India, therefore, has to be vigilant 24/7. The US continues to reward Pakistan with generous financial and military aid despite its continuing delinquent acts in the subcontinent and thus Pakistan remains selective, duplicitous and on a high horse in the war against terror in this region. Meanwhile, India must, politically and economically, venture out to frontiers, as yet significantly untapped, with South American nations, Iran, South Africa, Vietnam, Central Asia and the European Union. The year 2010 witnessed the rare phenomenon of leaders of all the permanent Security Council members visiting India, thereby acknowledging India’s emergence on the world stage.

Notwithstanding the siege within and myriad external challenges in its march forward, India stands to play an increasingly significant role globally in the years ahead as long as we can successfully manage the diverse formidable challenges to our security.

The writer was the first Chief of the Defence Intelligence Agency.

source;The Tribune