The Hindu : New Delhi News : “Indoctrination being done by militant outfits”

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Saturday, Oct 04, 2008
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“Indoctrination being done by militant outfits”

Disclosures made by suspected Indian Mujahideen militants who carried out terror strikes in different parts of the country about how young men are brainwashed into joining the outfit for carrying out anti-national activities have provided an insight into the concerted efforts being made by outside forces to systematically misguide their vulnerable targets to take up violence.

The police claim to have seized several preaching material and compact discs containing inflammatory speeches and songs during the recent raids that reveal the psychological methods employed to infuse a deep sense of hatred among young brains.

According to the police, young men are told through various ways that there was no one to protect them and that there was no option left for them but to come together to assert themselves. And on that pretext they are then encouraged to carry out acts of terror. They are made to feel insecure and helpless by repeatedly reminding them of instances of violence against their community members, filling them with rage.

“The speeches and films are so inflammatory that anyone, however educated, would over a period of time get indoctrinated into believing what is being fed,” said a senior Delhi Police officer, adding that the entire process of indoctrination was being carried out at the instance of militant outfits such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Harkat-Ul-Jehad-e-Islami.

The biggest ploy people preaching violence employ is to give stern instructions to individuals not to reveal or discuss with anyone about things being shown or told to them. “Through this they want to obliterate the reasoning capability of the targeted person. He is not allowed to question what he is being told. He cannot discuss it with others as it might weaken his belief in what is being fed to him. If told to receive a consignment, he is not supposed to talk to the person who hands it over. All this ensures that in case anyone gets caught, he would have little or no information about others in the chain,” said the police officer, adding that there is a regimented chain of command within the module to ensure discipline.

Stating that the situation might get out of hand if not addressed urgently, many police officers hold the most practical solution to the grave problem is to pay proper attention to the grievances of the community and also provide ample employment opportunities for them to strengthen their faith in the system and instil a sense of social security in them.

Though counter-terror operations are a must to bust modules that are out to create disturbance and foment communal disharmony, they believe that mere enforcement cannot be a long-term solution to this serious threat.

Devesh K. Pandey

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