Basharat Shameem
A new wave of radicalization is sweeping through the trouble-torn Kashmir valley. Lately, there has been an unprecedented surge in the radical sentiments among the Kashmiri youth with their drift towards the more extremist interpretations of Islam like Wahabism or Salafism. The new avatar of global Islamic fundamentalism, ISIS, is being idolized and adored as the frequency of waving its flags and praising it on the social media would suggest. The security establishment is worried; the people are apprehensive, all the while the volcano of extremism is heating up. Abu Bakar-al-Baghdadi has emerged as the new poster boy for Islamic radicals all over the world, and it seems, in Kashmir valley, the grim scenario is no different. The new found love of Kashmiri youth towards the ideology of ISIS is certainly a disturbing trend. Youth in Srinagar were seen holding ISIS flags during several protests, most notably on Eid-ul-Fitr, leading to concern among the security agencies, the State Government, and even among the separatists. The penchant for ISIS among the Valley youth, these days, can also be observed through social media sites which are abuzz with praise and love for ISIS, with many messages and posts regularly condoning the groups’ malevolent acts in Syria and Iraq. Indian intelligence agencies have already put some overseas Kashmiris under scanner for their alleged links with the terror group. The drift of Valley youth towards the ideology of ISIS, and any possibility of the group setting foot in the valley, has set alarms for all. The issue needs immediate redress on all fronts before it is too late to act.
Amidst this heady scenario, a new generation of Kashmiri militants has emerged. They are more radicalized and more firm in their convictions than their predecessors. What is more worrying is their way of looking upto ISIS as a role model for their violent demeanor. A majority of these militants hail from South Kashmir. The political and security establishments both at the State and Central level have acknowledged this disturbing trend. Recently, the GOC Northern Command Let Gen D S Hooda frankly admitted to the ever increasing radicalization and the new found tilt towards militancy among the Valley youth.
But if Gen Hooda’s acknowledgement is taken as the assessment that his organization has made of this recent radical surge in Kashmir valley, then there needs to be a serious appraisal. He points out the oft repeated reasons-alienation and lack of opportunities. Most of the militants are well educated and do not come from the ‘deprived’ sections but from relatively affluent middle class families. Gen Hooda has called for an honest assessment and urgent remedial measures of this problem. But Gen Hooda and his establishment would be well served if they aim to move away from their self-righteous persuasion. One is entitled to pose the question that from where does this alienation emanate? One cannot but agree with Gen Hooda and the perceptions of his organization that there is an urgent need in exploring the ways for de-radicalizing the valley youth. But the million dollar question that he needs to ask himself and his establishment (both political and military) that how to achieve an end to the deep-rooted sense of alienation and frustration among the youth? Except the periphery areas, the ‘integrationist’ schemes like the Sadhbhavana have utterly failed to achieve their purposes. The tragedy is not the number of militants joining the militant organizations but the repressive ways of choking the democratic space, recurrent rights violations, failure and incompetence of police in tackling small law and order problems which results in high-handedness, atrocities and humiliations that an average Kashmiri faces on almost daily basis, and the impunity enjoyed by the erring personnel. An honest assessment that Gen Hooda calls for would certainly take these factors into account.
But the problem does not end at this alone. When the state defines itself by sanctioning violent practices, as theorists would tell us, there is bound to be a counter-definition which at times, like in the case of Kashmir valley, takes things to another extreme. For many people, including those in the security establishment, the recent fundamentalist or pro-ISIS stir in the valley has been an unexpected development. However, the underlying reality points towards a slightly different direction. The fertile ground has been prepared for quite some time in the Kashmiri society for these extremist ideologies to take root. While there has been a steady decline in the militancy in valley during the last eight years or so, one thing which has really got unnoticed, during the same period of time, is the increasing radicalization of Kashmiri society, especially, of youth towards extremist interpretations of Islam like Wahabism, Salafism, and Deobandism. For centuries, the majority of Muslims in the valley, more or less, followed a syncretic brand of Islam which laid down emphasis on the universal values of pluralism and tolerance. But all through these years, things have undergone a radical alteration. Religious fundamentalism has taken root among the valley youth through these radical ideologies which promote intra-religious and intra-sectarian hatred. There has been a proliferation of extremist groups and ideologies like Wahabis, Salafis and Deobandis in Kashmir valley. Of late, there has been a manifold increase in the Darasgahs (seminaries), Mosques and the personnel that these groups control. Radical preachers are being allowed to hold congregations and distribute literature which is resulting in the radicalization of our society on the ‘Taliban’ lines. Lately, florid Mullahs and organizations have indulged in systematic indoctrination of youth using the easily available religious platforms like congregations, gatherings, Friday sermons, and literature. No surprises, the areas to which these militants belong are the ones where these activities have been concentrated largely.
The volcano of radicalization has been brewing up for quite some time in the valley but the Kashmiri society has suffered enough losses during the last two decades, it simply cannot afford more. It needs our attention now or never.
(The author is Lecturer English DDE, University of Kashmir)
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