Smart Borders

R.C. Sharma

India’s land border mass of around 15,106.7 km is contiguous to Pakistan, Afghanistan China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Indian borders are most hostile and complex, considering varied terrain configuration, weather vagaries, and inimical and hostile counterpart attitude. They can be categorised as closed and open borders based upon historical enmity syndrome and conflict prone attitude between neighbours.

Borders are further categorised as de jure and de facto based upon mutual recognition. De facto borders are considered militarily active and conflict prone because they are geographically disputed whereas de jure borders are considered normal, safe and peaceful. However, under present circumstances, the thin line between de jure and de facto borders stand blurred. In fact, categorisation of borders also decides the nature of deployment along these borders. In Indian context, international borders are guarded by border guarding Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). Border Security Force (BSF) guards 3,323 km Indo-Pakistan and 4096.7 km Indo-Bangladesh border, both of which are closed borders. Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) guards 1,751 km Indo-Nepal and 699 km Indo-Bhutan border. Assam Rifles (AR) mans 1,643 km long Indo-Myanmar border. All borders, except Indo-Pakistan and Indo-Bangladesh, are open borders.

The deployment and domination pattern along borders is dictated by threats. However, on Indian borders, the deployment pattern is almost similar i.e., human intensive. The integration of technology in border guarding is fragmented and patchy. There is a need for in-depth analysis of threats, which exist on different borders. The threat analysis will help to decide deployment and domination strategy through manpower and technological innovations, integrating both to develop real-time surveillance grid. The factors, which must influence deployment of manpower and technology, are terrain configuration; weather/climatic vagaries and their effect on manpower and technological equipment; geopolitics and military cum diplomatic relations with neighbours, which exacerbate threats of insurgency, infiltration, illegal immigration, drug and arms smuggling and cross-border terrorism.

Threat Along the Borders

The deployment strategy and surveillance pattern is devised based upon detailed threat analysis. For instance, Indo-Pakistan border faces both conventional and terrorist threats. In the Jammu region, the threats include infiltration, tunnelling, terrorist and border action team (BAT) attacks, arms and counterfeit currency smuggling and radicalisation. Further south, in Punjab, threats are almost similar with very high intensity of drone-based drugs and arm smuggling. Along Rajasthan, the main threat is of drug and arms smuggling. All areas are prone to this smuggling, however, areas contiguous to Punjab like Sri Ganganagar are likely to emerge as future hubs of drug and arms smuggling from Pakistan because they have population concentration and agricultural activity right up to the zero line, and easy access to Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. Along Gujarat, the threat is mainly of bulk drug and explosive smuggling through sea route.

Hostile and unstable Indo-Bangladesh border poses significant threat to border security. There are multifarious threats affecting national security along Indo-Bangladesh border. The threats are illegal migration, infiltration, smuggling of arms and ammunition to fuel militancy in Northeast region, gold smuggling, cattle smuggling through arti