A worrying revelation

Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat’s recent revelation that India is operating ‘camps’ for de-radicalisation of youth is reason for grave concern. Not only is this a counter-productive approach but also, given the opacity that shrouds the functioning of such camps, it encourages the use of unethical and illegal means to engineer change in mindsets. Drawing attention to growing radicalisation of Kashmiri youth, Gen Rawat claimed that children, some as young as 10-12 years of age, are being radicalised in Kashmir. Those who are “completely radicalised,” he said, “need to be taken out separately, possibly taken into some de-radicalisation camps.” Such de-radicalisation camps are already operating in the country, he said. Radicalisation is a problem that needs to be addressed. However, contrary to Gen Rawat’s view, this isn’t a phenomenon that is particular to Muslims and Kashmiris but exists among people from other parts of the country and among people of other faiths and belief systems, too. Singling out radicals belonging to some faiths and not others will deepen the problem among the former, even pushing it underground and thus making it harder to tackle. At the same time, it will encourage radicals among the latter to unleash their extreme views and methods on society.

De-radicalisation camps aim at re-engineering the views and outlook of individuals, which is inherently undemocratic. The approach is fundamentally unethical as it is based on enforcing ideas via coercive and often violent means and involves isolating an individual from his family, neighbourhood and community. This approach could prove counter-productive, too, as it is increases alienation of the internee, could trigger rage and rebellion of greater intensity and manifest in far greater violence. There are less offensive ways to wean youth away from violent ideologies, such as engaging them in discussion, dialogue and debate. Importantly, community initiatives rather than State-led ones are likely to be more successful and lasting.

Gen Rawat’s disclosure raises several questions. Who is running these camps and what are the methods being used to de-radicalise youth? Are these legal? On what basis is an individual deemed to need confinement in a de-radicalisation camp? What is the counter-narrative that he will be subjected to? The government needs to clarify what is happening behind the closed doors of these de-radicalisation camps and why it has opted for this route. To counter radicalisation of our youth, we need to understand the circumstances that drive them to turn to extreme ideas, ideologies and methods. While radicalisation is not new in Kashmir or other parts of India, it has surged in recent years. The Narendra Modi government’s aggressive pursuit of Hindutva politics underlies the current surge in religious radicalisation in the country. This needs to be countered to eliminate extremism in India.