From Kasab to Yakub Memon, terrorism crosses socio-economic barriers

Poverty and Education causes terrorism. Says who? The recent legacy of militants have set a new benchmark for new recruits.

Gone are the days when the likes of Ajmal Kasab drew sympathies from a few quarters for his social economic background. His confessions that a poor and large family and the desire to excel and earn more money for a better living drove him tothis path do touch sentimental chords. But not anymore!

The 'elite' fighters

Take the case of ISIS, which has taken to social media for the recruitment of engineers, doctors and scientists. The ISIS recruitment base in Bengaluru is spearheaded by some very educated people, including software engineers and advertisement executives.

Aafia Siddiqui, who had hit the headlines a few months ago when the ISIS offered to barter American Journalist James Foley for her. The 42-year old was a neuroscientist, educated at MIT and Brandeis. In fact, slain Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Osama bin Laden too was a civil engineer by profession.

Lt General Subrata Saha, General Officer Commanding of the Srinagar-based 15 Corp of the Indian Army had once rued that educated youth joining militant group would prove to be a greater social threat.

Certainly, Yakub Memon is another live example of how education has become a prime requirement for masterminding disaster. Although, he would not live long enough to get his second post-graduation degree certificate, Memon is a double post-graduate.

He enrolled himself in IGNOU and acquired post-graduation in English Literature and Political Science. He was responsible for using his firm to streamline funds to support illegal silver smuggling and terror attacks by his brother Tiger Memon.

The lineage of terrorists has observed a haywire change, but that has worsened things for the world. An ignorant criminal is far less threatening than an elite one. While the former can be changed, the latter knows what he is doing.