Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu: With a free hand, the radicalisation problem is curable

New Delhi, May 29: For the Intelligence agencies, the rate at which radicalisation has grown in states such as Kerala and West Bengal has been alarming. Several officials have in the past complained that the lack of a free hand and the immense politicisation of the issue had led to such a rapid rise in radicalisation in these states.

The minority appeasement has been one of the major reasons for these states becoming problematic. The same could be said about Tamil Nadu as well, where the first case relating to the Islamic State had been reported.

It all began with Tamil Nadu, when one of its residents Haha Fakkruddin left the country to join the ISIS in Syria. Today, the NIA is probing a series of cases relating to the ISIS and has found that several operatives from Kerala and Tamil Nadu had planned on replicating the Colombo suicide bombings in South India.

The ISIS in a bid to spread its geographical remit went on to appoint an Emir for West Bengal and Bangladesh. It named Abu Muhammad al-Bengali as the Emir, following which a directive was given to stage terror strikes.

Officials point out that the results in West Bengal in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections point towards a major change. Former officer with the Research and Analysis Wing, Amar Bhushan tells OneIndia that the agencies cannot allow states such as West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala to slip out. We saw that in Bengal and will witness the same in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. There is an undercurrent and anger against the minority appeasement. If the appeasement continues, then we are staring at a major problem he says.

He also goes on to point out that in the past, never had a free hand been given and this had led to the problem escalating. In Kerala, the problem of Wahhabbism has grown ten fold as a result of which terrorists have found the state to be a happy hunting ground, Bhushan also adds.

He further adds that the National Investigation Agency will continue to have its hands full in these states. The NIA will continue to get a free hand and this would be in the larger interest of security in these states, he further adds. He also adds that if the agencies continue to get a free hand, then the situation in these states is very much curable.