Frame plan to fight Islamic State supporters
Reports of the Islamic State beheading its second Japanese hostage, only days after it similarly murdered the first, serve as a rude reminder of the horrors that are routinely perpetrated by that terror group as well as of the challenges that it poses to India's national security. Remember, that alongside news of the Islamic State's brutality, there has also been a steady stream of reports about Indians either joining or actively supporting the terror group, over the past couple of months.
Most recently, we have heard of a 19-year-old, Qatar-based, Hyderabad-native travelling to Turkey to join the Islamic State. Thankfully, she changed her mind and returned home but there are supposedly at least a handful of others who have willingly walked into that hellhole. Moreover, there are possibly scores more like Mehdi Biswas, who didn't travel to Iraq or Syria but did a lot of damage, just sitting in front of a computer in Bangalore. Finally, there are also the rent-a-cause jihadis, in hotspots like Kashmir, who are just waiting to grab any ‘grievance' that comes their way — which explains the Islamic State flags that were reportedly spotted in Srinagar late last year. Though there are no official figures or even reliable estimates, there is reason enough to believe that support for the Islamic State, even if found in only a tiny fraction of the Indian population, is a problem. If not nipped in the bud, it will lead to disastrous consequences.
Against this backdrop, the urgency with which the Government of India needs to formulate an action plan to respond to the Islamic State cannot be overstated. For now, the authorities are working on a case-by-case basis but, sooner than later, a cohesive policy will have to be framed. For example, how does the Government plan to deal with returning jihadisIJ
This is a question that Western security agencies are already grappling with, as dozens of American and European fighters return home from Syria and Iraq. The latter may be battle-weary, but they have been hardened in the ways of bloodshed and violence, and will be bringing back their poisonous ideology. The risks that they pose to civilised society are evident, for example, in the May 2014 attack on the Jewish Museum in Brussels which was carried out by a French jihadi of Algerian origin, who had fought in Syria for more than a year. Immediately arresting returning jihadis is one response to the problem. But the question is: Can they be incarcerated foreverIJ Sweden, for example, is trying to rehabilitate jihadis with a job and a home. This is a risky proposition because not only does it seemingly reward terrorism but also puts enormous strain on law enforcement agents who are expected to keep an eye on the trouble-makers. In India, where resources are already stretched thin, this level of monitoring is almost impossible. Perhaps, we could start with greater cooperation with foreign Governments and intelligence agencies so that potential jihadis can be stopped in their tracks.