Rajnath Singh favours taking help of clerics, scholars to check radicalisation

New Delhi, Aug 30: To check the radicalisation attempts by terror groups like the dreaded ISIS, Home Minister Rajnath Singh has pitched for taking help of clerics, scholars and the National Commission of Minorities to build a counter-narrative.

The issue was discussed at a high-level meeting, chaired by the home minister and attended by Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, which was called this week to deliberate the government action on de-radicalisation and counter-radicalisation, a home ministry official said.

At the meeting, the home minister has suggested that clerics, scholars and researchers and the NCM should be engaged to check attempts to radicalise youths and motivate them towards constructive works. Singh said help of community elders should be taken to find out the reasons behind some youths getting attracted towards radical views, the official said. A final decision on the issue is yet to be taken as a few more meeting on the subject is likely to take place in coming weeks.

The government, in a statement in Parliament, had said that the radicalisation has emerged as a challenge world over and the terrorist organisations are using various platforms to propagate their ideology and to attract recruits. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and police forces of different states have arrested nearly 100 youths for suspected links with ISIS, which allegedly radicalised them.

The Union Home Ministry last year had created a new division, Counter-Terrorism and Counter Radicalisation (CTCR), headed by a Joint Secretary, to check radicalisation attempts in the country. The move reflected the government's seriousness in dealing with the problem. Threats to internal security from increased radicalisation, mostly online, and terrorism were growing and the new wing focuses on assessing the reach of global terrorist outfits besides shaping strategies to counter their propaganda and activities, another official said.

PTI