ROLE OF THE ARMED FORCES IN INTERNAL
SECURITY—TIME FOR REVIEW
“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 army was required for more important task of defending the
country against external threats. There were phenomenal increase in strengths of
State Armed Police and Central Police Forces and Para Military Forces. It was
expected that these forces would relieve the army from the task of providing frequent
assistance to 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 deployed in the aid-to-civil role in greater numbers, for longer
periods of time, and with increasing frequency. The scope of violence in India has
reached unprecedented levels, as has the level of force which Army and paramilitary
personnel have employed in restoring order. At the same time, the ability of local
police forces to contain violence has diminished perceptibly, thereby prompting state
and local authorities to rely more than ever before on the armed forces.
Since Independence and, more particularly, during the last 30 years, internal security
conditions in the country have deteriorated sharply. Ethical or tribal insurgencies in the
North-East, the continuing Marxist insurgencies of various hues in different states, the
periodic outbreak of communal tension and violent disturbances, ideologically and
religiously oriented terrorism in different parts of the country and particularly in Jammu
