With radicalisation in Kerala and Colombo bombings, South India is a ticking time bomb


New Delhi, Apr 29: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) says that there is no direct link with the Islamic State operatives of Kerala and those part of the Sri Lanka bombings. However the NIA added that they were part of a same social media group, which professed radical theories.

Advertisement

While no link between the Kerala module and the Sri Lanka bombings have been found, the danger that lurks is the common ideology and goal. Kerala has over the years become a hub for radical elements. The Kerala Salafis and the Wahhabis have all set up shop in the state. To top it, Kerala has one of the highest hawala remittances in the country, a majority of which comes in from the Gulf.

Advertisement

When the NIA carried out raids, it had found videos of Zaharan Hashim, who is considered to be the mastermind behind the Colombo bombings. The ideology that he followed is similar to the one being followed by the Kerala Salafis.

Osama Brigade: Pakistan a mischievous player in Sri Lanka's radicalisation since 1990

The Salafi preachers in Kerala are capable of extreme radicalisation. The Salafi preachers in Kerala, NJT and ISIS have all spoken the same language in which they profess about the dangers in living in a land of non-believers. There is a need to keep a distance from such persons they say.

Advertisement

The Islamic State problem is not new for Kerala. Intelligence Bureau (IB) officials tell OneIndia that this is not an overnight problem. The Wahhabis have been in and out of the state for the past ten years now. Over a period of time, they have changed the thinking of several Muslims.

In addition to this the state also has some radical groups such as the PFI, which have only added to the problem. The ISIS problem was fuelled by all these developments, the IB officer also noted.

Advertisement

Last year, nearly 20 persons went missing from Kerala. Investigations conducted by the NIA showed that all these persons had joined the Islamic State. Some had joined the outfit in Afghanistan, while others had left for Syria.

Kerala ISIS sympathisers not directly involved with Colombo bombers: NIA

The Sunday raid conducted by the NIA led to detention of three persons. One of those being questioned by the NIA is Riyaz Abu Bakr and the NIA alleged that he was in touch with Abdul Abdullah, the man who led the 20 persons out of the state and into ISIS territory. The NIA is questioning three persons in connection with the case, who hail from Kasargod and Palakkad.

Advertisement

During searches, a number of digital devices including mobile phones, SIM cards, memory cards, pen drives, diaries with handwritten notes in Arabic and Malayalam, DVDs of Dr. Zakir Naik besides untitled DVDs, CDs with religious speeches, books of Dr Zakir Naik and Syed Kutheb have been seized from their residences, the NIA had said in a release on Sunday.