“This Country Is Not a Dharamshala”: Amit Shah Lays Out India’s 2047 Security Roadmap
New Delhi : Union Home Minister Amit Shah has outlined a long-term internal security strategy aimed at supporting India’s goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047. Speaking at the Intelligence Bureau’s National Security Strategy Conference in New Delhi, Shah stressed that economic growth and social progress cannot be sustained without a strong and secure internal environment.
He called for security agencies to stay ahead of emerging threats such as terrorism, illegal infiltration, drug trafficking, cyber threats and radicalisation. Shah said lessons from past challenges, including Naxalism, narcotics and unrest in the Northeast, underline the importance of identifying threats before they become major crises.
According to Shah, India has made significant progress in dealing with three major internal security hotspots, crediting state police forces, central agencies and Central Armed Police Forces for their coordinated efforts.
Looking ahead, he asked intelligence and security agencies to focus on developments that could affect the country over the next 15 to 20 years. The aim, he said, should be to anticipate threats and act before they escalate.
Shah also highlighted criminal justice reforms, saying the government wants the three new criminal laws to be fully implemented within the next year. He said the reforms are intended to speed up the justice process, with an aim of resolving criminal cases up to the Supreme Court level within three years and increasing conviction rates by 25 per cent.
Border security was another major focus of his address. Shah said the Centre had consulted all states sharing land borders and presented a four-pillar framework aimed at strengthening border management and tackling illegal infiltration.
Making a strong statement on the issue, Shah said, “This country is not a Dharamshala and only the citizens of the country have the right to live in this country.” He argued that illegal infiltration can have implications for national security, the economy and demographic stability.
On terrorism, Shah pointed to the action taken against the Popular Front of India following its ban as an example of cooperation between central and state agencies. He also called for the PRAHAR strategy to become part of routine security operations so that terrorist networks can be dismantled completely.
The Home Minister also stressed the need for stronger action against drug trafficking. He urged states to implement the Narcotics Control Vision Document 2026–2029 and follow a “Detect, Disrupt and Destroy” approach to tackling the drug trade.
Technology, Shah said, will play an increasingly important role in policing and intelligence gathering. He highlighted the integration of databases such as CCTNS, ICJS, NATGRID and NAFIS, and encouraged younger officers to make greater use of artificial intelligence, data analysis and behavioural patterns to identify potential threats.
Shah further said that efforts to bring economic offenders and fugitives back to India had been strengthened. He stated that around 274 fugitives were extradited or deported between 2019 and 2026, and urged states to ensure that offenders hiding overseas are brought before Indian law.
He also pointed to the upgraded Multi-Agency Centre as an important platform for intelligence sharing. At the same time, he warned that global instability, energy and resource insecurity, supply-chain disruptions, radicalisation and cyber misinformation could pose new challenges in the years ahead.
Shah concluded by calling for a coordinated approach between the Centre and state governments. His broader message was that India’s security system must focus not only on responding to threats but on identifying and eliminating them before they become larger problems.
The government’s long-term vision, he said, is to build a safer India with stronger borders, reduced infiltration, better intelligence coordination and a sustained fight against terrorism and narcotics.
News source: Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
