Internal security going to be a big challenge for India: Ajit Doval

Hyderabad: Managing internal security is going to be a major challenge for the country, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Saturday said as he asked the police force to train and equip themselves to tackle the "fourth generation" warfare with an invisible enemy.

Speaking after reviewing the passing out parade of the 67 RR (2014 batch) of Indian Police Service (IPS) probationers at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA) here, Doval said India cannot become a great and powerful country without managing its internal security.

"When you retire probably from 35-37 years from now, this will be an entirely new India. This will be an India, which will be a global power and it will be a big and great India, which will have great economic challenges, great economic opportunities and which will have much greater population, more opportunities and more problems," he said.

Stating that India would face more and more internal security problems, Doval said, "You cannot have a great powerful country if you cannot manage its internal security. It is only the policemen who can fight this battle and win it. Train yourself to become powerful intellectually, emotionally and spiritually, as strong as possible you can."

"You have to master the technology. The biggest challenge will be now if you have to fight and win this fourth generation of warfare, whether it is organised crime, terrorism, insurgency or foreign powers trying to meddle into your internal affairs you have got to be demonstrative.

"From normal policing to crime detection, organised crime, management of borders, cyber security, banking frauds... Acquire lot of knowledge and skills," Doval advocated.

"Now it is a war of a policeman, as civil society is mostly affected. If you win, the country wins. Many countries are collapsing with internal security problems. Only police can fight and win the battle," he said.

According to him, in the post war period, 37 countries have failed or have degraded themselves. Out of that only nine were due to external aggressions while 28 degraded themselves or became a failure because they could not manage their internal security.

"Whether it is Pakistan or even for that matter erstwhile Soviet Union," Doval pointed out adding internal security is most important.

Doval said the wars have changed their complexions.

"You are now in the phase of fourth generation war and this is a very, very difficult war. It is a warfare with an invisible enemy... It's a warfare, in which the civil society is both the battleground and the ground and the people that you have to protect," the NSA said.

He recalled that despite the force, material resources and technology, a superpower like the United States faced defeat in Vietnam, while the Soviets failed to achieve their strategic or political objective in Afghanistan.

"Because this war cannot be won by the armies. This is the war of a policeman and if you win the country wins and if you lose then the country loses. It is not the warfare for the land, for terrain.

"If your intensive systems are very good and if your awareness and connecting with the people are very high and if you have got the skills, you are the master," he said.

Doval advised the IPS officer trainees to remain constantly in the state of self-training.

"Today and from tomorrow onwards you are both the player and your coach, you are both the trainee and your trainer if you decide to do.

"But, if you think that this is the time now and the training is over and it's all laurels you can just go around and be a big man in your district you will be having lot of honour, privileges and sometimes some problems, but then you have just stagnated there and you are adding nothing to your physical, mental and professional capability you will stagnate and you will not grow," he said.

He further called upon the trainees to "brand themselves".

"You are entering into a great future. Live up to your vision and live up to destination. There may be a conflict of interest, conflict of values, reality and perceptions, while you discharge duties. You have to rise above everything and withhold the everlasting spirit," he advised.

As many as 141 IPS Officer Trainees and 15 Foreign Officer Trainees from Maldives, Nepal and Royal Bhutan took part in the Dikshant Parade.

The Officer Trainees include 28 women Officer Trainees.

Parthrajsinh N Gohil, an IPS Officer Trainee, who hails from Gujarat, won the Prime Minister's Baton and Home Ministry's Revolver for the Best All-round IPS Probationer.