Jammu and Kashmir, being a highly sensitive border region and now a Union Territory faces several issues unique to it. One such is the tendency of some youth to extend a helping hand to the terrorists and even joining the militant groups.
A recent news missed by most of mainline media concerned the efforts by the police to stop the radicalization of the youth. The Anantnag police have prevented around 14 such young boys from joining the militant ranks. This is no small achievement, and a larger part of credit goes to intense teamwork behind it.
YOUTH ARE COUNTRY’S ASSET
Speaking to Indian Masterminds, SSP of Anantnag Mr. Imtiyaz Hussain said “The aggressive policy of radicalizing and motivating the youths of valley to join terror ranks by Pakistan and its deep agencies like ISI has gained momentum in the recent past. They are deploying our own youth against our country hitting us with double-edged weapon, firstly robbing us of our youth asset and using them to undertake attacks on security forces and other targets.”
There is a recurring pattern to the problem at hand. The youth getting involved in terrorism and joining militant ranks has been a daily affair in the Union Territory. It has also become a pressing issue for both the administration and the police as they deal with it every single day.
The youth get misled in many ways. They connect with the terrorist groups through social media platforms like Facebook etc., where they are brainwashed and radicalized. At times, they start interactions with local terrorists and end up getting sucked up by the militant wings.
Points out Mr. Hussain, “Of late many juveniles have joined terrorist outfits which is cause of concern. Many proscribed terror outfits like LeT/JeM, HM and Al Badar have been continuously making efforts to recruit youth and maximise the damage to the Security Forces in the valley.”
There are various levels in which the youth get radicalized and graduate to become a militant. In the initial stage, they help the terrorists in moving from one place to another and also by providing them shelter. Further, they help the terrorist groups in transporting vehicles and money. Moving on, they are given arms and ammunition and are asked to attack a person on their hitlist.
From then onwards, a downward spiral with no escape route begins for the trapped youth.
PROVIDING COUNSELLING
After identifying such people who get into militant ranks, the police force checks on how much the person has been radicalized. Mr. Hussain said. The police also focus on issues such as bad parenting crisis, as parents often did not take care of their children and let them roam free. There have been instances when parents themselves give us the information about their child joining the militant ranks- and this helped the police in a big way.
The police force, with their experience, guides the youth and take help from the family and other well-known community members to bring them to the right path. Mr. Hussain said, “We try to connect with the youth and get to know what all things are running in their minds. As we have also gained a lot of experience over time, we try to make them think the other way and make a good bonding with them.”
Mr Hussain as well as other police officials of J&K feel that they should have an institutional backing to guide such people and to deradicalize them. The institutions, they argue, can help re-educate the youth and give them several opportunities through which they can contribute something to the nation.
The police in Anantnag has already prevented 30-40 people from joining militant ranks this year.
