The various kinds of dangers are:
that which is of external origins and internal abetment ;
that which is of internal origins and external abetment ;
that which is of external origins and external abetment ;
that which is of internal origins and internal abetment ;
Of these four kinds of dangers, internal dangers should be got rid of first; for it
is the internal troubles, like the fear from a lurking snake, that are more serious
than external trouble.
— Kautilya, 321-296 BC
Introduction
The term “aid to civil authorities” (ACA) is a British imperial usage referring to
the process by which local authorities can request the central government to
lend assistance in times of emergency. Before independence, dealing with
internal security was an important task of the army. For the colonial rulers,
internal security was more important than tackling external aggression, for
their own survival. They made no distinction between using the army for
internal and external security duties.
After independence, the army was required for the more important task of
defending the country against external threats. There was a phenomenal
increase in the strength of the state armed police, central police forces and
paramilitary forces. It was expected that these forces would relieve the army
from the task of providing frequent assistance to the civil power. Events of the
past decade suggest, however, that the fabric of civil-military relations in
India is showing signs of wear as army and paramilitary personnel are being
CLAWS Journal z Winter 2007 68
Role of the Armed Forces
in Internal Security:
Time for Review
P K Mallick
Brigadier PK Mallick of the Corps of Signals is serving with HQ Northern Command.
