Terror Acts in J&K, Youths Joining Outfits have Dipped

NEW DELHI: Terrorist violence in Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a 25% drop in 2021 as compared to the corresponding period of last year, even as 20 Kashmiri youths joined terrorist ranks so far this year against 167 in entire 2020.

According to sources in the Central security establishment, 43 incidents of terrorist violence have been recorded in J&K so far this year, down from 58 in the corresponding period of 2020. One civilian was killed against 6 in the corresponding period of last year.
At least nine local youths reported as ‘missing’ and believed to have joined terror outfits, have returned home this year.

Of the 20 J&K youths who got recruited by terror outfits so far in 2021, at least 8 were either killed in encounters or arrested. An appeal was made to each terrorist trapped in the encounter, through his family members, to surrender. In fact, 15 terrorists were motivated by the security forces to surrender at various encounter sites in the past one year.

Efforts are on to get other terror recruits to return to the mainstream by getting their families to make similar appeals. While making sure that the identity of these “returnees” is not revealed, the J&K police is known to tactfully work upon their deradicalization by offering them counselling sessions, besides encouraging them to share their grievances, needs and interests so that these can be resolved by offering them skill development opportunities, jobs and even loans for a business start-up.

“Due to a number of measures taken by law enforcement agencies, the number of youths getting radicalised has dropped. In fact, the number of Kashmiris joining terrorism has also decreased as compared to 2018,” J&K DGP Dilbag Singh said adding that 201 persons in J&K took up terrorism in 2018, 140 in 2019 and 167 in 2020.

The Kashmiri youths have traditionally been radicalised by members of the local clergy propagating jihadi ideology, though other factors like peer pressure, perceived notions of injustice and construing state action against anti-national elements as oppression, also contributed to the radicalised mindset.

Sources told TOI that while radicalisation perpetrated by the local clergy has reduced substantially due to effective surveillance and legal recourse by the government, propaganda on social media is still fuelling radicalisation. “However, the radicalising forces, including social media handles operated mostly by ISPR of Pakistan, now have lower traction among the Kashmiri youths amid efforts by the J&K police to keep them engaged under Centrally-sponsored civic action programme,” said an intelligence official.

“Youth engagement under civic action programme is an enduring means to counter radicalisation. J&K Police carry out various public outreach programs such as study tours for local students to various places in the country, round-the-year sports activities, educational support to needy students, running eight drug de-addiction centres across the UT, etc,” said the DGP.

“Thousands of youth benefit from this and stay closely connected to us. We have been able to strengthen public trust in police and the security forces through our genuine activities,” he added.

Meanwhile, a counter-narrative is being built against anti-government propaganda used to entrap J&K youth by playing upon their feeling of alienation and grievances. Some 3-4 Whatsapp groups are now sharing details of works done by the government and fix accountability where the local administration fails to deliver, said a source.

J&K police sources said no empirical data was available to be precise about the number of youths who have got deradicalised due to their efforts. “However, scores of potential recruits were identified and subsequently counselled to desist from violence after taking families and community members on board,” Singh told TOI.

Source: ToI