Border Management and Development in India

Syllabus: GS3/Security

Context

• While addressing the Border Area Development Conclave, Defence Minister said that Border area development is the best way to deal with geo-strategic challenges.

About

• India’s geo-strategic position is such that it is exposed to different kinds of challenges and the best way to deal with them is to ensure border area development, as border villages are the country’s first villages and not remote areas.
• He highlighted the objective is to transform the villages along the Northern borders, especially in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh, which are suffering from limited connectivity and infrastructure, into model villages. 

Borders in India

• India currently has more than 15000 km of land borders and more than 7500 km of maritime borders. 
• It shares borders with seven countries including Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. 

Border Management in India

• Border guarding responsibility initially was with the state forces post-independence, however, the same was found inadequate to handle the challenges and threats. 
• Central armed police forces (CAPFs) were raised under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and were tasked to guard the borders under the control of the ministry. 
• In case of active hostilities, the Army is given the responsibility to man the borders. 

Need for Border Management

• India- Pakistan Border: The border with Pakistan has been a problematic one since India’s independence.
  • Despite the accession of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) to India as per the Indian Independence Act of 1947, Pakistan fought four conventional wars with India namely in 1947-48, 1965, 1971 and 1999. 
  • It has also been engaged in a proxy war as well both in the state of J&K and Punjab. 
  • The border is active in the form of LC where the Army has been deployed in addition to the BSF. 
• India- China Border: India has disputed borders with China in Ladakh, Middle Sector, and in Arunachal Pradesh. Despite many levels of talks, very little progress has been made to resolve the dispute.
• India-Bangladesh Border: The relations between India and Bangladesh have been moving up and down based on the government in power.
  • The current relations with Bangladesh are good but Pakistani efforts to create a religious divide, Chinese inroads and present political situation in the country have made the peace process prone to disruption.
• India-Bhutan Border: India is responsible for the defence of Bhutan and therefore responds to Chinese aggression even in Bhutan which happened in Doklam in 2017.
  • The Chinese threat manifesting through Bhutan always remains which rises the need to secure this border.
• India-Nepal Border: Due to close relations between India and Nepal, Nepalese are working in the Indian Army as soldiers and porous border management remains a challenge.
  • Several Chinese activities in terms of infrastructure development have come up in Southern Nepal close to Indian borders. 
  • Pakistan’s ISI is also using the porous nature of this border to infiltrate militants for anti-national activities in India. 
• India-Myanmar Border: India and Myanmar share a large land boundary with the northern end bordering China and the southern end bordering Bangladesh.
  • The border remains porous as local communities are divided into both sides of the border. 
  • There are a large number of refugees moving into the northeastern (NE) states, primarily in Manipur. 

Challenges In Managing the Borders

• Length and Diversity: India shares borders with multiple countries totaling thousands of kilometers.
  • Each of these borders has unique geographical features, ranging from mountains to rivers and plains, making effective monitoring and control challenging.
• Porosity of Borders: Many parts of India’s borders are porous, allowing illegal crossings of people, goods, and contraband such as drugs and weapons.
  • The difficult terrain, along with dense forests and riverine areas, facilitate such activities, posing a significant challenge to border security forces.
• Cross-Border Terrorism: India faces threats of cross-border terrorism, particularly from Pakistan-based militant groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir.
  • These groups exploit the porous borders to infiltrate into Indian territory and carry out attacks, leading to security concerns and tensions between the two countries.
• Transnational Crime: Transnational criminal activities, including smuggling of narcotics, arms, and counterfeit currency, thrive along India’s borders. 
• Ethnic and Tribal Dynamics: India’s border regions are often inhabited by diverse ethnic and tribal communities with historical, cultural, and social ties across borders.
  • Managing these communities’ aspirations, addressing their grievances, and preventing their exploitation by external forces require nuanced approaches to border management.
• Dispute over Borders: India has unresolved border disputes with neighboring countries, most notably with China and Pakistan.
  • These disputes lead to occasional tensions and confrontations, necessitating constant vigilance and diplomatic efforts to maintain peace and stability along the borders.
• Infrastructure Development: Many border areas in India lack basic infrastructure such as roads, communication networks, and border outposts, hampering the effectiveness of border management efforts.
  • Developing infrastructure in these remote and often inhospitable regions is crucial for enhancing surveillance capabilities and response mechanisms.
• Humanitarian Concerns: India shares borders with countries experiencing political instability, humanitarian crises, and refugee influxes.
  • Managing such situations while upholding humanitarian principles and international obligations poses additional challenges for border management authorities.

Conclusion

• The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has constructed over 8,500 kms of roads and more than 400 permanent bridges.
  • Atal Tunnel, Sela Tunnel and Shikun-La Tunnel, which is going to be the world’s highest tunnel, will prove to be milestones in border area development.
• The transmission and distribution infrastructure of north-eastern States is being strengthened.
• Ongoing efforts have not only ensured prompt military deployments in sensitive regions, but have also connected the people residing in border areas with the rest of the country.
• Infrastructure development; smart borders comprising communication networks and power supply; economic development with employment generation; border area tourism and empowerment of the next generation by providing skill enhancement and education opportunities are key pillars of the vision of border area development.

Source: TH