Q 1. How far are India’s internal security challenges linked with border management, particularly in view of the long porous borders with most countries of South Asia and Myanmar?
Answer:
India’s internal security challenges are indeed linked with border management, especially considering the long porous borders with most countries of South Asia and Myanmar.
The following points highlight the linkages between India’s internal security challenges and border management:
- Issues of Trafficking: There is cross-border smuggling, the problem of drugs, cattle, humans, and counterfeit currency.
- Infiltration Of Terrorists: India shares its borders with countries that have active terrorist organizations operating within their territory. These terrorist organizations often use porous borders to infiltrate India and carry out terrorist activities, thereby posing a significant security challenge for India.
- Illegal Migration: The porous borders provide an easy route for illegal migrants to enter India, which can lead to an increase in crime and social tensions. The influx of illegal migrants can also strain India’s resources, leading to economic challenges.
- Smuggling of Arms and Narcotics: The porous borders facilitate the smuggling of arms and narcotics, which can lead to an increase in organized crime and pose a significant security threat to India.
- Insurgency and Extremism: Some of India’s northeastern states have witnessed insurgent and extremist activities that are often supported by external elements. The porous borders provide an easy route for the movement of such elements, leading to a security challenge for India.
To address these security challenges, India has taken several measures to strengthen border management. Such as-
- The construction of border fences.
- Deployment of border patrols.
- Use of technology such as drones and surveillance cameras.
- Increased cooperation with neighboring countries to address border security issues.
Therefore, India’s internal security challenges are closely linked with border management, and effective border management is critical to addressing these challenges. The long porous borders with most countries of South Asia and Myanmar pose a significant challenge, and India needs to take a comprehensive approach to strengthen border management to counter the threats posed by these challenges.