His Excellency Mr. P.S. Ramamohan Rao

Some Dimensions of
Internal Security
Mr. P.S. Ramamohan Rao
Governor of Tamil Nadu

His Excellency Mr. P.S. Ramamohan Rao, Governor of Tamil Nadu, delivered the inaugural speech on "Some Dimensions of Internal Security". In his address the Governor spoke about different strands of security - the external and the internal. He said that while defending the territorial borders of a nation is the foremost security concern, a nation must anticipate the events and developments in the world that might impact on its security.

The Governor made the following points relating to the different dimensions of the threat to internal security during his inaugural speech.

• Threats to security on account of external aggression in the conventional sense have become remote, but low cost, low risk strategies like cross-border terrorism have taken their place and developed the quality of endurance.
  
  
• Threats to security from within have become more serious and indeed, more burdensome in terms of economic costs, human life and long-term effects on the country's progress. These threats do not get due attention and are given lesser weightage in the present scheme of things.
  
  
• Demographic changes through illegal migration: We already had the experience of Bangladesh. Today, this threat cannot be dismissed lightly in the northeastern region of the country. If the problem of ethnic minorities in Sri Lanka does not find an amicable solution, it has serious implications for Tamil Nadu.
  
  
• It has been said that future wars may occur on the sharing of waters. Inter-state water disputes are a real threat to peace and order in the southern states and to free movement of goods and services. Some years ago, Tamils in Bangalore became targets of violence.
  
  
• Absence within regions of a common and shared appreciation of problems: For example, the naxalite violence in Andhra Pradesh. The leaders are provided sanctuaries in other states, who in the absence of violence in their own state, tend to be indifferent and even non-cooperative. The case of forest brigand Veerappan is another such example.
  
  
• Uneven economic development leading to glaring disparities and a laboured sense of injustice. The experience of the East European countries and the former Soviet Union has its own lessons for India - for example, the oppression of minorities in India and the grievances of undeveloped States. The enduring grievance of excessive central control on a number of levers of economic progress is also causing dissatisfaction in many states which can have security implications. Even where economic disparity has been accentuated by the poor performance or incompetence of a state Government, yet it becomes an argument of hostile discrimination.
  
  
• The debate on the shape and content of Indian federalism: while states allege central domination, they are themselves reluctant to devolve powers and responsibilities in favour of local self-government passing the buck to the next higher tier. Perhaps, a review of the lists of jurisdiction as between the Centre, the States and the local institutions is overdue.
  
  
• Lack of respect for pluralism and inclusiveness leading to alienation of religious and linguistic minorities. This to a large extent depends upon the conduct of such minorities also.
  
  
• Narcotic trade, dumping of counterfeit currency, etc.
  
  
• Absence of territorial or constituency limitations on mafias operating in filmdom, narcotics, real estate and money disputes point to ineffective and weak justice system.
  
  
• Vote bank politics based on geographical distribution of dominant castes, which the parliamentary form of Government seems to encourage, are creating new forms of social alienation and contradictions, leading to serious social tensions.
  
  
• Revolution of rising expectations has degenerated and turned into cries for basic needs of water, power and sanitation, even by those who can afford to pay for them.