R.C. Sharma

India faces insurmountable internal security challenges such as terrorism, Left-Wing Extremism, insurgency, and ethnic turmoil. Our constitutional structure is federal, wherein federalism defines the division of powers between Union and state governments. Police and public order falls under a state’s domain, thus primary responsibility to deal with internal security challenges lies with state governments.

Yet, it is often seen that the police is not able to maintain routine law and order which forces states to requisition Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) to deal with internal security challenges. Article 355 makes it incumbent upon the Union to continuously evaluate external and internal security situation and protect states against external aggression and internal disturbances.

As such, there is a need to carry out an in-depth analysis of national security challenges and evaluate response mechanism regularly. So, what are the major internal security challenges? The Committee of Estimates, ministry of home affairs (MHA) 28th report for the year 2017-18 and MHA’s annual report 2022-23, categorises internal security challenges as under:

• Terrorism in the hinterland of country
• Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) in certain areas
• Insurgency in the Northeastern states
• Cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir

Surprisingly, these internal security challenges have remained constant, which means that no in-depth analysis of dynamic internal security challenges has been done in a structured manner. Without analysis, there cannot be a structured response to deal with such dynamic challenges. Piecemeal response may not serve the purpose. Over the years, new challenges have emerged such as:

• Drone and drug terrorism
• Illegal migration and infiltration into the Northeast (NE)
• Ethnic turmoil and terrorism in Manipur
• Coordinated efforts to encircle Chicken’s Neck to isolate the Northeast

The new challenges have been on government’s radar in passing, as was revealed from the response of the then home secretary before the Committee of Estimates. He said, “I would like to make you aware that the main threat to internal security is also on land border, and on the coast land as well as also due to our internal insurgency”. It was a generalised response without a response strategy. There is a need to analyse major internal security challenges. Let’s now understand in details.

Bastar police with weapons recovered after an encounter with alleged Maoists in November 2024

Terrorism in the Hinterland

Cross-border-sponsored terrorism in the form of infiltration of terrorists, arms and ammunition and indigenous terrorism in collaboration with cross-border elements is found in the hinterland. This type of terrorism includes terrorist groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir in coordination with Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and Northeast-based dormant terrorist groups which are regrouping and establishing camps close to the border under ‘strike and fall-back strategy’ to disturb the NE.

Left-Wing Extremism

Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) poses a major challe