To bring misguided youths linked to terrorism into the main stream, the UP Anti-Terrorists Squad (ATS) has introduced a helpline number and offered a De-Radicalisation programme.
The elite anti-terror force has asked parents to contact them if they found any thing suspicious about their wards so that they could arrange counseling and motivate the youths to join the mainstream for living a peaceful life.
"After learning during quizzing some suspected terrorists that they were innocent youths who were fascinated to take the path of terrorism under some pretext or the other, we counselled and released them without any action to ensure that they live a normal life and return to the mainstream,” said IG (STF) Aseem Arun.
Arun said that on the direction of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Up ATS has also introduced helpline numbers (ATS Control Room-0522-2304586 and 9792103156) for this purpose.
The IG appealed on Wednesday evening that in case any parents noticed that their wads were involved in suspicious activities or they needed scrutiny, they should not hesitate to call the above numbers of ATS. He promised that the ATS teams along with psychologists will provide them all help to leave anti-national activities.
Arun cited the example of six suspected terrorists who were held along with four others during raids in Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Maharastra etc. He said that all six were released by them after de-radicalisation programme.
The IG further said that besides counselling, the government also forwarded help to such youths in continuing their studies, vocational courses etc. He also said that not only the ATS officials, but during counselling, they also took help of religious gurus, prominent persons, friends and relatives of the youths. The programme was initiated on a daily basis and later they were called every week, then every month and once they found that they had started living normal lives, the programme was suspended.
later, meembers of the ATS made surprise querries and kept close vigil on their activities to ensure that he did not go back and take up anti-national activities once again.