Day 91 – Q 3.What are the threats emanating from external state and non-state actors in the Jammu & Kashmir region? Discuss.

3. What are the threats emanating from external state and non-state actors in the Jammu & Kashmir region? Discuss.

जम्मू और कश्मीर क्षेत्र में बाहरी राज्य और गैर–राज्य अभिनेताओं से होने वाले खतरे क्या हैं? चर्चा करें।

Introduction:

External State actors refer to those entities which have formal backing of a sovereign state for carrying out any intended action. Non state actors on the other hand, have a considerable power of influencing international events but they do not have formal state backing. Examples of state actors are the army, bureaucracy, intelligence agencies etc. whereas non state actors would be NGOs, civil society organizations, extremist outfits, multinational companies etc.

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Challenge to internal security from external State actors in the Jammu & Kashmir region

• Through political backing, economic assistance, logistic support, military training or arms supplies external State actors have varyingly contributed to the ongoing violence in Jammu & Kashmir region
• The state may carry out a limited war against Indian state and this might have ramifications for our internal security too.
• They might support the various insurgent groups, Naxalites, or separatist groups through funding, training or logistics.
• There have been instances where state actors have been responsible for carrying out cyber warfare through hacking and other espionage.

Challenge to internal security from external State actors in the Jammu & Kashmir region

• Insurgency and terrorism are carried out by Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad in the state. 

• Non state actor – sponsored terrorism, often motivated by fundamentalist ideologies, backed by secretive but efficient financial networks, use of IT, clandestine access to chemical-biological and nuclear materials, and illicit drug trafficking, has emerged as a major threat to international stability.

• These groups aim to not only create instability in states like J&K, they also have a larger aim of destabilizing 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 modernization.

• Drug trafficking – Inter and Intra state trafficking takes place, through golden crescent and golden triangle routes.

• Drugs from Golden Crescent (Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran) have affected J&K and Punjab.

• Counterfeit currency – It corrodes economy from inside, by facilitating black money and money laundering activities as well as funding terrorism, which itself creates a demand for fake currency, thereby creating a positive feedback loop. This is the issue arising especially from Pakistan.

• Communalism – Propagandas are run and funded by enemy country and other non-state actors (NGOs and CSOs) to destabilize India by damaging the socio-religious fabric and ensure riots.

Conclusion

Both state and non-state factors from outside have created problems in our internal security framework. Hence while it is imperative to guard our borders and strengthen our diplomacy, on the other hand, we need to check the various non-state actors who come in hidden forms. There is a need for a national internal security doctrine to deal with various challenges.