News Highlight
Recent attacks and terrorism on well-known individuals put to shame the degree of skill that security agencies have acquired.
Key Takeaway
- Two recent terrorist incidents in Russia and the United States signal bad news for India.
- The first one was the attempt to murder Salman Rushdie, the famous author of the controversial book, at an event in Upstate New York.
- A second incident occurred in Moscow, where a nationalist and outspoken daughter of a conservative ideologue supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Radicalisation
- It is a process by which a person accepts the use of undemocratic or violent means, including terrorism, to achieve a specific political/ideological objective.
Types of radicalism
- Right-wing extremism:
- This form of radicalisation is characterised by the violent defence of a racial, ethnic or pseudo-national identity and is also associated with radical hostility towards minorities, immigrants, and left-wing political groups.
- Left-wing extremism:
- It focuses on anti-capitalist demands and calls for a transformation of political systems considered responsible for producing social inequalities.
- Politico-religious extremism:
- This is associated with a political interpretation of religion and uses violence to protect a religious identity perceived to be under attack.
The factors facilitating radicalism
- Social identity:
- Social isolation, sense of discrimination, perception of injustice due to one’s belief/religion.
- Unemployment:
- Unemployment provides a fertile ground for recruitment by violent extremist organisations since they can provide a route out of poverty.
- Growth of technologies:
- New age technologies and social media platforms help to propagate radical ideas quickly and recruit youngsters.
- Radicalisation in prisons:
- Prisons provide a unique environment within which individuals can spread extreme and violent ideologies, and the conditions inside prisons can create or inflame already present animosity.
- External factors:
- Polarised society, sensationalised public and media discourse, easy accessibility to extremist propaganda and discourse.
Challenges in addressing Radicalism
- Borderless:
- It is often said that radical ideals are borderless. It can freely propagate from one country to another quickly.
- The lack of collective effort by different countries triggers its growth and propagation.
- Compartmentalised mindset:
- Compartmentalised mindset of the agencies is due to the fact that the problem is viewed from a security perspective as opposed to a rehabilitative, reformative, and preventive approach which is the need of the hour.
- Availability of material:
- Radical content, primarily disseminated through the internet, cannot be limited by artificial political boundaries.
- Lack of awareness:
- Lack of awareness among parents and teachers often leads to ignoring the early signs of such development.
- Legislative competence:
- Law and order are state subjects; thus, each state is free to determine its course of action.
Government initiative
- Counter Terrorism and Counter Radicalisation:
- It was set up in 2017 under the Ministry of Home Affairs, the CTCR division mandated with the “development of policy and strategies to counter radicalisation”.
- The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967:
- This law was enacted to effectively prevent certain unlawful activities of individuals and associations.
- It empowered appropriate authorities to declare any association as ‘unlawful.’
- In 2019, the Act was amended to designate an individual as a terrorist.
- Terror Funding and Fake Currency (TFFC) Cell:
- It has been constituted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to conduct a focused investigation of terror funding and fake currency cases.
- The Border Area Development Program(BADP):
- BADP aims to meet the unique developmental needs and well-being of the people living in remote and inaccessible areas near the International Boundary (IB).
Way forward
- Collective effort:
- Since radicalisation is borderless, collective effort is inevitable.
- Mutual gathering and sharing of intelligence information are important.
- Umbrella legislation:
- Centre should develop an umbrella legal framework to facilitate, guide and coordinate individual states’ efforts to combat radicalisation.
- Empowering individuals:
- In order to better deal with feelings of relative deprivation and injustice, individuals should be empowered by helping to increase their perceptions of efficacy and self-esteem and fostering the creation of a strong self-identity.
- Regulating social media:
- Regulating social media when information about such activities is to be held and drawing legalised guidelines to regulate in due means without contradicting an individual’s privacy is crucial.
- Intelligence strengthening:
- Central agencies like RAW and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) should conduct covert operations to learn about the extremist propaganda and frame a strategy to regulate the actions of the radicalised youth
Best practice:
- De-radicalisation programme of Maharashtra:
- The programme focuses on the four aspects of the individual, family, religion, and psychology and seeks to bring about a lasting change in the individual’s belief system.
- Kerala’s ‘Operation Pigeon’:
- The state claims to have ‘counselled’ 350 youths by mining social media.
Content Source: The Hindu