Why is India’s most literate state Kerala producing the most ISIS terrorists

New Delhi, June 08: Kerala is a 100 per cent literate state. It is one India's best tourist destination and offers probably the best cuisine.

Attached to all the positives is a lurking problem as well. It has been described as a ticking time bomb, thanks to problem of radicalisation and the very fact that the maximum number of cases of people leaving for the Islamic State have been reported from this state.

It is a psychology very difficult to understand say several officials that OneIndia has spoke with. To say that only un-educated take to terrorism now remains a myth. In this context one would have to re-visit a case of 1991, which later famously became the Lal Singh vs State of Gujarat case.

Basheer, a resident of Kerala, who was studying aeronautical engineering and was part of the extremist faction of the Students Islamic Movement of India had organised a convention in Bombay. Later it was found that this was a convention sponsored by Pakistan to create a liaison between the Khalistan terrorists and the SIMI.

Pakistan had brought in Lal Singh, who was part of the Khalistan movement. Pakistan wanted the SIMI to grow and the target was South India. Basheer had even surveyed the Madras Stock Exchange that year with an intention of bombing it. The plan did not work out and two years later Dawood Ibrahim helped bomb the Bombay Stock Exchange.

The point here is that the radical mindset found among the extremist members of south is not a new phenomenon and dates back nearly 30 years back.

V Balachandran, former officer with the Research and Analysis Wing tells OneIndia that he cannot understand why so many from Kerala are leaving to join the Islamic State, when people across the world are returning.

He adds that when it comes to Kerala, the key concern remains radicalisation and Wahhabism. Allowing Wahhabism is a danger to our integrity. We should not let pockets of our country be dominated by such radical thoughts.

Kerala is a ticking time bomb and it should not be allowed to explode. I am very confident that our agencies will not let that happen. The power of our law and order is so great that such persons will be wiped out. It is sad to see what is happening in these pockets. It makes us suspect the loyalty of the minorities and makes us bitter against them, Balachandran also says.

NIA officials probing the Kerala ISIS case say that the prime concern is that all those who have left for the ISIS in Afghanistan are educated. The officer says that a person by the name Shihas had played a major role in building up the module. He had managed to rope in several persons including one Nashidhul, who was initially opposed to the ideology of the ISIS.

During investigations, the NIA learnt that the brainwashing was so strong that many who did not subscribe to the view of the outfit ended up getting convinced. They are repeatedly told that as Muslims they are living on unholy land and they could lead a better life and become good Muslims only if they subscribe to the view of the ISIS.

Shihas incidentally was linked to the Peace Foundation that is run by Zakir Naik. He managed to convince many to attend classes at the Peace Foundation. The officer adds that the spread of this foundation is large in Kerala and this we have noticed is the crux of the problem.