Terrorist organisations like ISIS and others are spawning hatred through online radicalisation process and some tech-savvy youths are coming under their sinister influence. This was how four well-educated youths with humble backgrounds from Haridwar were enmeshed in the terror net, said the senior cops while addressing a seminar in the police headquarters (vigilance and security) in Dehradun on Friday.
Additional DGP (vigilance) Ashok Kumar appealed to the academicians to include the subject of security in the school and college curriculum. He said that the objective of this seminar was to nudge the authorities of educational institutions about how to strengthen security in their campus in view of the increasing threat of terror attacks on them and also how to alert police and other security agencies if such strikes happen.
Dehradun SSP Dr Sadanand Date said that the school and college authorities should verify the identities of all their staff members apart from those of the persons who get into the college or school campus right at the entry gates. He said such attacks might happen from inside and outside the school campus. “We all have to be extra cautious, given the fact that Dehradun is a hub of education with a large
number of students from across the country staying here for their education,” he said.
“Things are indeed grim as a section of the students is getting addicted to liquor/drugs. The number is rising as per the statistics. In this scenario, the school authorities should host counseling session with students and their parents,” he said.
He further said that schools receiving threat through cyber and social media networks, the authorities must not lower their guard. “They must take the students, their parents and other staff members on board from time to time about the scale of security preparedness they put into place. Institutes must issue photo identity cards for all their students and staffers. Students’ bags should be checked daily. Mock drill should also be organised there from time to time to keep things in the right places,” he added.
Additional director general of police (law and order) Anil Kumar Raturi said that the State government is committed to tackle the threat of terrorism squarely. “Based on intelligence input, Uttarakhand police have recently arrested four suspected terrorists from Haridwar. They are well educated youths. We were surprised to learn that they were connected with terrorist organisations through social media networks. A major attack was averted as police arrested them on time and foiled their sinister design of wreaking havoc during the Ardh Kumbh in Haridwar,” he said.
Stressing on preventive measures, he said that the school and college authorities should tackle possible terror strikes, he said the school authorities should be in touch with the police department.
During an open- house session, the senior police officers answered questions raised by the officials of the institutes regarding security in their campuses. Representatives of various schools, colleges and universities from Dehradun, Mussoorie and some other places were present during the seminar.