SHAFAQNA PAKISTAN (Shia News Agency)
India has declared IS as an outlawed terrorist organization. It has banned terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, stating that it is involved in radicalization and recruitment of vulnerable youth from various countries including India. The notification is a mere formality, for all intents and purposes was a banned organization in India. The present announcement makes the status official. Perhaps more than a formality, it is a signal that more so than other countries India needs to be on guard. India’s top security advisors were repeatedly warning the public about the IS threat far before Al-Qaeda’s decision to open a chapter in India. When Al-Qaeda started losing ground in global jihadist standing to IS, India was chosen as the new frontier where Al-Qaeda will carry out operations in a bid to revive its lost fortunes. Certainly, IS will not be far behind, it has already wrested control from Al-Qaeda in several areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan; accepting pledges of allegiance from splinter groups and being foremost in recruiting fighters. Most importantly, IS will be a threat to India, for India offers a unique demographic unlike any other country. IS has restricted its activities outside the Middle East to finding new recruits. India is home to one of the largest Muslim populations in the world – one that lives as a minority in a country which is rapidly adapting to radical Hindu nationalism. Furthermore, this minority is relatively impoverished compared to its Hindu counterparts, and in some places, it is in open conflict with the federal government. IS will find plenty of prospective recruits here – young religious men, with little prospects in an increasingly competitive job market and full of resentment against the state.
It is time for India to stop recruiting by IS and it is only possible when provides equal opportunities and justice to minorities. Poverty, alienation, Injustice and inegalitarianism are major causes of radicalization. Thus if India does not control these social evils, Indian minorities will be attracted by IS and many other such organization.
pakistan.shafaqna.com
