Religious radicalisation is a serious challenge faced by the global community in the current era. Driven by the “transient megalomania” of religious supremacy, almost half of the world is enmeshed in this cobweb of violence, which is cast through by shelling out billions of dollars in a systematic manner. The biggest factor, however, driving this ideological rat race is the political weaponisation of religion, which undoubtedly, is a “grave threat” that more than 200 countries are battling today. Not a single day passes that one hears or reads about militant attacks or acts in different parts of the world. 

While economic and military giants like US, Russia, China and in European Union are researching, analyzing and peer-reviewing the dire consequences of religious indoctrination emanating from Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria, the severity of (religious) fanaticism India is facing in Kashmir, since 1989, goes unnoticed most of the times.
Aided and abetted by Pakistan for geopolitical and geostrategic reasons, the violence sponsored by ISI—internal and external espionage agency in the valley has left behind tales of utter devastation on the economic and physical front. While Kashmiris’ have been bleeding profusely since 1947, top officers’ in Pak army are sitting on a huge empire, believed by many security experts to be worth $100 billion.
The deep-rooted penetration of religious indoctrination in Kashmir, mainly done on Social Media, is taking place in a systematic manner where the people, entrusted with zeroing in on the gullible youngsters are breaking good ground in cognitive and behavioral radicalisation. The biggest factor driving a youngster towards extremism in political weaponisation of religion, which if completely perused and understood, is an outcome of dirty nexus between mainstream and separatist leaders. Let us study some examples based on empirical evidence to know how religious fundamentalism is provoking Kashmiri youth to the path of violence. It is well entrenched and backed up by systemic prowess within and outside the Valley. Mohammad Hanif Sheikh, son of Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Sheikh is a handler who is responsible for recruitment and providing logistical support to the Pakistan sponsored proxies. A resident of Tujjar Sharief, Sheikpora (Baramulla), the 55-year-old Hanif was paid well and entrusted with the job of recruiting youngsters for militant outfits.
Where things startle our minds is how these agent provocateurs enjoy all the comforts while feeling no remorse for devastating innocent families for pecuniary benefit. Hanif fits in this dubious and unwanted bracket quite comfortably as he owns a hardware and cell phone shop in Sopore. A patriarch of a happy family comprising of his wife, three daughters and a son, Hanif worked towards spoiling the future of innocent children while leaving no stone unturned in imparting quality education among his children. Shaziya, Fazia and Rahila three of his daughters are doctors while Shoib Sheikh, his son is handling the family commercial properties in Sopore. He ensured quality life and a safe future for his children while perpetrated death and devastation for innocent and gullible youths of his neighbourhood. A cursory look into Hanif’s own life does not reveal any higher qualification but he is well off to afford his family all the luxuries of the modern times. Hanief himself can be counted within the few prosperous and wealthy families of the region where his twelve bedroom house constructed over more than 1,000 yards of land itself values more than a few crores, besides holding other assets including acres of land and two shops in prominent mkt.
What drew this rogue to work for militant outfits and devastate innocents is not only rooted in money but driven by ideological and religious factor also. The victims here are Meraj-ud-Din War and Abid Mushtaq War of Wadoora, Payeen in Baramulla. Hanifalong with his son Shoaib Sheikh successfully indoctrinated the duo into violent extremism. Interestingly, the father-son duo were working as OGWs of Al Badr militant Ghani Khawaja. While they don’t involve their family members in the path of violence but they unhesitatingly and in a deplorable display of apathy and callous attitude, ruin lives of gullible youth by weaning them away from their worldly and family responsibilities.
Hanif and Shoaib were paid handsomely after ideologically seducing Abid Mushtaq in terror activities by unleashing their propaganda of misinformation warfare. Abid was made to watch sensitive videos and read other incriminating material to get into the groove of extremist mindset.
After he got completely radicalised, Abid Mushtaq and his friend Mushtaq War lobbed a grenade at Sangrama Chowk to prove their loyalty to Al Badr. However, Abid surrendered to police in 2020 leading to the revelation of what has been mentioned above. The life of the duo was doomed as both, after being declared as militants were not left with many options with their life….either get killed in some encounter or suffer long imprisonment. Mushtaq Ah War was killed in an encounter with SF in April 20. Abid and Mehraj-ud-Din War both belonged to poor families which suited the criteria of the recruiter Hanif, luring them towards militancy . Both followed the theological bait, selectively offered to such young minds by Pakistani backed recruiters, and finally joined militants tanzeems, leaving their parents to live remaining of their life in penury. Abid, while languishing in jail, still curses the day when he interacted with Hanif.
Fact of the matter is that the international community is hardly bothered about the fate of this unmarried 20-year-old who was a baker before falling to the vicious propaganda of Hanif and his criminal son. While Taliban, ISIS, Boko Haram and other globally dreaded terror outfits steal the show of global concern, the tale of innocents like Abid does not reach beyond the Banihal tunnel.
Another recruiter entering the “Hall of Shame” here is a former militant, Abdul Majeed Khan of Kralpora, Bandipora. A financially sound person owning a sprawling orchard, Majeed also worked as a contractor. Understanding the significance of education to excel in modern times, all of Majeed’s children are receiving quality education while choosing children of vulnerable families for his insidious designs. Ab Majeed Khan has three daughters and none of them has been exposed to radical ideology or guided to follow the footsteps of Asiya Andrabi or Burhan Wani or SAS Geelani. The fact of the matter remains that such Pak sponsored recruiters desire to cultivate Burhan and Asiya Andrabi like militants from their each neighbour house and not from their own. Such individuals facilitate recruitment of innocent boys into terrorist organisations but never guides their own siblings into the similar trap.
Just like Hanif and his fiendish son choose gullible targets for their vested interests, Majeed settled on a 23-year-old youngster from Bandipora. Joining the outfit at the behest of Majeed was the biggest blunder committed by Imtiyaz Ahmad Khan who is currently languishing in jail. Imtiyaz was the sole bread earner of his family upon whom his old parents had entrusted upon to support them in difficult times. However falling into the death trap of Abdul Majeed Khan, he now awaits to get old himself behind the bars and live in agony while leaving his old parents alone to die in silence. Such is the poor state of his parents in Bandipore that neither the neighbours nor the relatives find time to check upon their whereabouts and condition leaving them to live in complete isolation. While Imtiyaz ended up damaging his life and family, the story of recruiter like Majeed will never hog the media limelight it deserved.
Global community should not remain a “mute spectator” before extremists like Hanif and Majeed are reborn and victims like Abid and Imtiyaz end up regretting the worst phase in their respective lives. The onus lies more on the Indian government as revocation of Article 370 has opened up many fronts to root out extremism from the Valley.