INTERNAL-EXTERNAL LINKAGES, AND CONTINUITY AND CHANGE IN INDIAN CIVIL MILITARY RELATIONS

This article provides a nuanced analysis of the dynamics of civil-military relations in India, examining the factors of continuity and change and the crucial linkages between internal and external security. It explores the reasons for the remarkable continuity of civilian supremacy over the military, a feature that distinguishes India from many other post-colonial states. The study attributes this to the legacy of the nationalist movement, the political culture established by the early leadership, and the professional ethos of the Indian armed forces. However, the research also identifies significant changes and new challenges to this traditional relationship. It analyzes how the military's prolonged deployment in internal counter-insurgency operations, particularly in Kashmir and the Northeast, has drawn it more deeply into the domestic political sphere. The paper also examines how external security challenges, such as the nuclearization of the region, have increased the influence of military advice in high-level strategic decision-making. The analysis concludes that while the tradition of civilian control remains robust, the changing internal and external security environment is creating new and complex challenges for the management of civil-military relations in India.

The nature of civil-military relations is a critical determinant of the stability and character of any state. This paper provides a detailed analysis of the Indian case, celebrated for its long and unbroken tradition of civilian control over a professional, apolitical military. The first part of the study is an examination of the sources of this remarkable continuity. It delves into the historical legacy of the British Indian Army and the deliberate policies pursued by India's post-independence leadership, such as Nehru, to establish a clear and unambiguous hierarchy of civilian supremacy. The paper analyzes the institutional mechanisms, such as the role of the Ministry of Defence, that were designed to ensure this control. The second part of the article, however, focuses on the more recent elements of change and the new challenges emerging in the 1990s. The core argument here is that the clear line between internal and external security, and thus between the domains of the police and the military, was becoming increasingly blurred. The study provides a detailed analysis of the military's extensive and long-term role in counter-insurgency operations, exploring how this has affected its training, morale, and relationship with the civilian population and political leadership. It also assesses how the growing complexity of strategic issues, like the nuclear question, was necessitating a more integrated civil-military approach to national security decision-making. The findings suggest that while the foundational principles of Indian civil-military relations were not under threat, the relationship was evolving and becoming more complex in response to a more challenging security environment.