Radicalisation of Kashmiri youth

Ravinder Jalali
In view of the recent attack on telecom companies leading to breakdown of telecom services in Valley, police held one of the groups of Hizbul Mujahideen headed by Qayoom Najjar, one of the oldest surviving militants in Kashmir. This seems to be a new militant group which is supported by JeM and LeT. Earlier it was said that this Najjar group is restricted in Sopore area and has some differences with the HM leadership. Now it is being said, No, it is not a small group restricted to Sopore area only but has spread in Srinagar and south Kashmir districts as well and is going to be a major challenge to the Govt. and security forces.
Security agencies have also expressed apprehensions that there can be more self-radicalised youth who can join them in future and can become a new and powerful militant group in valley. Sources have also revealed that this group has established contacts with Hizbul Mujahideen chief across the border Syed Salludin for seeking instructions to be carried out in valley but did not get nod. Najjar is an experienced and had served imprisonment, therefore knows in and out of the terrorist trade and is active since 2006. This group is not also using cell phones for communication purposes but is using human couriers to avoid being trapped while conversing with one another. GOC 15 Corps has also confirmed that the number of militants across the LoC has increased and number of infiltration attempts on the border has gone up.
It is high time for Govt. and security agencies to handle the situation at an earliest before it gets escalated. First positive sign is that the Govt. has taken cognizance of the escalation in the militancy as confirmed by the forces and Govt. as reported in media and Ministry of Home Affairs proposes urgent plan to thwart the designs of terror groups. Union Home Secretary has entrusted this task to special secretary (Internal Security) Ashok Prasad, who had served as Director General Police J&K state and asked for an urgent plan to prevent such radicalisation in the state.
The problem of radicalisation of kashmiri youth needs to be tackled on a priority and urgent basis, because it is high time to nip the evil in bud. It was also reported that there are young boys in the age group of 20-21, who have been lured to join the militancy and may become the role models for others.  If the problem is not addressed at the earliest, it will increase in its magnitude and then the problem will become big and we will be small to handle it. If the problem of radicalisation of youth is handled at initial stage, we are big and the problem is small and it will be easy to handle. Any delay or postponement on the part of Govt. machinery to handle such type of situation will only lead to the escalation of problem and then the problem will be big and it will be difficult to solve it. It will also help in saving many young children from getting lured to join the new brand of militancy.
We should take lessons from 1986 and 1989-1990, when there were enough indications of growing militancy but at that time the then Govt. either ignored or were ignorant, and  did not take it seriously and claimed that these are a few misguided youth  and is  a short lived phenomenon. Rest is all history and we have paid a heavy price for the last more than two decades and are still paying.
Recently Govt. has also expressed concern over the presence of Rohingya Muslims in India. They are persecuted in their homeland in Myanmar and could be vulnerable to radicalisation. It is also reported in the newspapers that these Rohingya Muslims are increasingly settling in Jammu and Kashmir and even marrying Kashmiri girls, which is an alarming development.
The newly inducted youths if not turned around will become the icons for the youths. Disruption of telecom services in the valley cannot be afforded by the Govt., as it will adversely affect the large population of Valley. It has also an adverse impact on the education and career of youth, who are mostly dependant on network. With the introduction of digital India concept by our Prime Minister, telecom services have acquired more importance and will be centre around which all our activities will revolve.
Government must carry out the detailed investigation about the revival of radicalisation and has to be over cautious against the Rohingya Muslims, before the situation escalates. Mass awareness programme from media needs to be launched  The enemies of peace  don’t want to see the prosperity of the people of the Valley. These enemies are aware that tourist season has already set in. Amarnath Yatra has also begun and will remain in operation for about two months and this  time when the people across the state from vegetable vendor to taxi operator, ponywala, shikarawala, hoteliers’ etc are going to earn and it will boost the State economy in general and valley in particular.
But these people may take the support of some self styled leaders of so called “azadi” to create  unrest in the Valley.
Since the Govt. and security agencies are in know of these latest developments and accordingly geared up to thwart the designs of terror groups, it needs to have improved surveillance, modern communication facilities and high network of interconnectivity to overcome the challenges posed by these so called terror outfits as these groups are supported by ISI and Pak army, with latest equipments and in the absence of aggressive clampdown on militancy, the situation may worsen.

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