The State and Internal Security in India

Abstract

Abstract Internal security is a core responsibility of all states. This chapter first characterizes its constitutive elements. It then outlines and contextualizes a wide array of internal security threats faced by the Indian state and examines the empirical trends regarding different forms of public violence. Subsequently, it discusses the role and record of an expanding range of state instruments created for establishing order and controlling violence. Finally, the chapter reflects on the implications of the state’s internal security approach for individual freedoms, democratic institutions, and state building.