Anil Kumar Rathee asked : How external state and non state actors are creating problems in India’s internal security?

Vivek Chadha

replies: India’s internal security problems are a manifestation of internal weaknesses and external attempts at waging a proxy war. Inadequate socio-economic development, apathy towards the genuine grievances of the people, political brinkmanship amongst other reasons, has created internal contradictions, which have led to over five decades of internal strife. Similarly, a number of internal security challenges faced today are fuelled and controlled from Pakistan. If we divide the internal security challenges into four main groups, to include, Jammu and Kashmir, Northeast India, Left Wing Extremism and Terrorism in the Hinterland, then the first and the last are a direct manifestation of Pakistani influence. It is part of Pakistan’s state policy to bleed India through a thousand cuts, given its obvious disadvantages on the conventional war fighting front. The use of non-state actors is essentially the employment of a proxy element, which gives the state of Pakistan a degree of deniability. However, there is no doubt that none of the so called non-state actors like the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) could have operated with impunity without the active funding, logistical and military support of Pakistan. The close linkages of the ISI and such groups are well documented as is their direct involvement in attacks like 26/11. These groups aim to not only create instability in states like J&K, they also have a larger aim of destabilising the country. This is done through sporadic terrorist strikes, which spreads terror and panic. This could also adversely affect the ability of the Indian state to pursue economic modernisation. The flooding of the country with counterfeits is also a way of weakening the economy. Therefore, the non-state actors operating from Pakistan are the proxies of the state, functioning under a clear charter of state policy.