State and Non-State Actors

Introduction

State actors have the formal backing of a sovereign state to carry out their desired actions. Non-state actors, on the other hand, wield significant influence over international events but lack formal government support. 

• The Army, bureaucracy, intelligence services, and other state actors are examples of state actors, whereas non-state actors include NGOs, civil society organisations, extremist groups, multinational corporations, and others. 

State Actors are Responsible for Posing a Threat to National Security in a Variety of Ways 

• They may wage a short war against India, which might have consequences for our domestic security. 
• They may provide finance, training, or logistics to various insurgent, Naxalite, or separatist groups. 
• State actors have been accused of conducting limited cyber warfare through hacking and other forms of espionage in the past, especially in China. 
• In terms of ideological, territorial, and financial support, China has been a silent sponsor of numerous left-wing extremist groups in India. 

• It has also used its financial clout to militarily and financially support India’s neighbours, such as Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. 
• As a result, India’s influence over its neighbourhood is diminishing. China has interests in the north-east and left-wing radicalism in India, which it exploits to create internal security issues in the country. 

• Nepal’s relations with India have been strained since it became a parliamentary democracy. The current government, which has a left-wing ideology, is more at ease with China than India.
• Illegal Bangladeshi migration has been a source of sectarian and ethnic conflict in India, leading to large-scale population disruptions in the north-east. 

• It is producing plenty of social and economic issues, and it has resulted in communal rioting in Assam and an increase in crime in various parts of the country. 

Non-State Actors, on the Other Hand, Have Played a Malicious Role in Causing Issues for India 

• For decades, non-state actors from the neighbouring countries have waged a proxy war to “bleed India” through terrorism. 
• Certain dubious NGOs and so-called civil society organisations also work behind the scenes to incite discontent among sectors of Indian society, causing internal security concerns. 
• Various dubious non-state entities operate bogus currency and narcotics rackets, posing a threat to India’s economic and social stability.

Terrorism by Non-State Actors: Terrorism in the Indian Context can be Put Under the Following Categories:

• Terrorism employed by ethno-nationalist movements seeking either greater autonomy or statehood in the federal structure of the Indian Union or complete separation from it. For example, north-eastern Insurgent groups. 
• Terrorism is used by left-wing extremist movements seeking a fundamental overturning of the nation’s capitalist economic order and liberal democracy. For example: Naxalite Movement. 
• Terrorism is driven by extreme religious ideologies y New forms of Terrorism- Cyber Warfare, lone-wolf attacks.  

Impact of Terrorism by State and Non-State Actors 

• State and Non-State Actors pose the greatest threat to the country’s sovereignty and internal security because, 

• They are the primary cause of public opinion division, as seen in recent events in Jammu and Kashmir.  
• They encourage extremism, which has been the source of communal violence leading to internal instability. 
• Interfere with and obstruct the peace process by giving weapons and other logistical support, as seen in the North-East and left-wing extremism affected areas. 
• They negatively impact the economy by counterfeiting currency, laundering money, and acting as a conduit for hawala transactions. 
• Youth, the country’s backbone, are addicted to drugs and have even joined a terrorist organisation (ISIS) rather than learning a skill and contributing to the country’s success. 
• Due to the increasing prevalence of terrorism-related instability, resources for social welfare and development are diverted to the constant upgrading of armed and intelligence forces. 
• The proximity to Golden Crescent (Iran-Pakistan-Afghanistan) and Golden Triangle (Myanmar-Laos-Thailand) have resulted in drug trafficking. Human trafficking for sexual exploitation and forced labour are also a serious problem.