Topic: Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security
Arunachal Pradesh, India’s northeastern frontier state, faces significant internal security challenges. These are amplified by the involvement of external actors, both state and non-state, against a backdrop of complex cross-border dynamics and geopolitical implications.
Key concepts include: insurgency, cross-border terrorism, geopolitical competition, state and non-state actors, proxy warfare, porous borders, ethnic tensions, resource competition, and soft power projection.
External state actors, particularly China, exert influence through territorial claims and infrastructure development, fostering a sense of instability. Support, direct or indirect, for insurgent groups operating across the border can further destabilize the region. Non-state actors, including militant outfits and criminal organizations, exploit the porous borders for trafficking and extortion, often fueled by foreign entities or regimes. These actors thrive on ethnic divisions and the remote nature of the state, hindering effective governance. The strategic importance of Arunachal Pradesh, due to its location, fuels geopolitical competition between India and China, amplifying these security threats. This creates an environment conducive to proxy wars.
The internal security of Arunachal Pradesh is significantly jeopardized by the actions of both state and non-state actors operating from across its borders. Addressing these threats requires a multi-pronged approach encompassing robust border security, diplomatic engagement, and socio-economic development to address the root causes of instability and mitigate the influence of external actors.
- Geopolitical Rivalry (India-China) fuels instability.
- Porous borders facilitate external actor access.
- State actors (China) directly/indirectly support destabilization.
- Non-state actors exacerbate existing vulnerabilities.
- Ethnic/resource issues act as catalysts.