Jammu and Kashmir cops deradicalise 20 youth in Valley

The instances of young Kashmiris joining militant outfits are again on the rise forcing Jammu and Kashmir police to launch a counter strategy of bucking the trend by holding what is termed as "deradicalisation" drive.

Social networking sites are the on the scanner of the security agencies who keep a tab on the activities of youngsters on the Internet. The effort seems to have worked as the state police claim to have successfully brought 20 boys back in the mainstream through intensive counselling. These youngsters had shown inclination to join militancy but were apprehended before they took up guns and made to lead a normal life.

Agencies have estimated at least 60 Kashmiri youth to have joined terror groups like Hizbul Mujahideen this year and the rise in recruitment of locals had the authorities worried, a senior Union Home Ministry official said.

"Many parents do not even inform the police if their son goes missing. The youth are getting attracted to militancy through videos and pictures posted by a band of militants led by Burhan Wani, a 20 year-old from Tral, who has become the local face of Hizbul Mujahideen," said the official.

The agencies claimed that the 20 boys who underwent counselling were identified as "potential militants" on the basis of messages and comments posted by them on the social media. They were found to be developing keen interest in the activities of Hizbul Mujahideen in general and Burhan, an "A" listed terrorist carrying a reward of Rs 10 lakh, in particular.

Latest estimates show that over 60 per cent of the militants active in the valley are locals. Out of the 142 militants operating in the conflict-hit state, 88 are Indians. The indigenous Hizbul Mujahideen has replaced Lashkar-e-Taiba as the number one terror outfit in the Valley. With the number of local militants outnumbering those who infiltrated from Pakistan intelligence agencies are keeping an eye on families with young boys who could be vulnerable to join the terrorist outfits.

"After identifying youth who are potential recruits we are reaching out to their families trying to convince them that their children should not join militant groups. After counselling the boys we have managed to de-radicalise quite a few," the home ministry official added.