R.C. Sharma

Primary Role: Border Security

The basic domain of border guarding forces is border security and border management. However, the government has discretion to utilise border-guarding forces for internal security or disaster management. Thinning troops from the border for internal security makes the border porous, making it easier for smugglers, terrorists/ militants to operate. The need is to plug gaps in border guarding and bring down smuggling, illegal migration and cross border infiltration This will strengthen and enhance internal security by minimising and eliminating role of external players to create trouble.

In the present dynamic security environment, the thin line between border and internal security is blurred and a holistic, balanced view needs to be taken by the government to make the border and internal security fool-proof by plugging gaps both in terms of manpower and equipment needs.

Border management is a separate professional domain enveloping peacetime border guarding and wartime integration with army. This requires border-guarding forces to train for both peacetime and wartime roles. It will ensure professional border management and integration with army for execution of wartime role. Training and role execution makes border-guarding forces akin to the army.

Secondary role: internal security

The secondary role of border guarding forces is to fight internal security challenges like insurgency, left wing extremism (LWE), ensure free and fair elections and fight natural calamities and disasters. The officers and men of the border guarding forces have professional acumen to guard borders, fight war and take on internal security challenges successfully in coordination with the police.

BSF soldier deployed in Gulmarg

Kargil Review Committee Report

The Kargil Review Committee report (KRC) brought into focus grave deficiencies in India’s security management system. On reviewing the report, the group of minister’s report on national security stated that it is desirable to employ border guarding forces on the principle of ‘one border-one force and that Border Guarding Forces must be deployed for counter-insurgency and other allied duties after raising of additional battalions. “Once these additional battalions are in place, the CPMFs (Central Para Military Forces), other than the CRPF, may have to be mobilised only for short durations, in cases of extreme exigencies, natural calamities, elections etc.”

In chapter V, Border Management Para 5.1 of the report says, ‘India has 14,880 kms of land border running through 92 districts in 17 States and a coastline of 5,422 kms touching 12 States and Union Territories (UTs). India also has 1197 islands accounting for 2094 kms of additional coastline. In fact, barring Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Delhi and Haryana, all other States in the country have one or more international borders or a coastline and can be regarded as front-line Stat