Targeting "White Collar" Terrorism: Counter Radicalisation Option

The July 10th "Terrorist Incident" has given rise to the term White Collar Terrorism, highly educated professional youth taking to terrorism. Tracking and neutralising the networks is important, a holistic strategy will also need countering radicalisation.

In July 2021, we published an article on counter radicalisstion titled, “Countering New Breed – “Hybrid” Terrorist in Kashmir on Jul 07, 2021

In fact in January 2020, then Chief of Defence Staff Late General Bipin Rawat had called for deradicalistion camps in Jammu and Kashmir.

“We should start counter-radicalisation programmes while identifying who are the people to have been radicalised and to what degree. Then look at them who are completely radicalised and then look towards the future. What we are seeing in Kashmir, young boys and girls as young as 10 years old have been radicalised, but they can still be isolated from radicalisation in a gradual manner,” General Rawat had said at the Raisina Dialogue 2020.

In the wake of the current challenge faced from White Collar terrorist network exposed in November post the Delhi terrorist incident on 10^th of the month, the underlining necessity for counter radicalisation needs emphasis.

Here is a reprint of the article on counter radicalisation of 2021 where substituting ‘hybrid terrorist’ by ‘white collar terrorist’ may provide the answers.

Article Reprint

Multiple news reports indicated that  new breed of terrorists is evident in Kashmir Valley which has been named as Hybrid Terrorists. These are not formally into use of violence for the ideological cause of separatism or radical religious extremism but carry out random attacks while staying in the mainstream.

These attacks are mostly on soft targets using basic weapons as pistols.

As they are not listed on the police and security forces lists of graded terrorists tracing them is difficult.

Attacks are carried out based on directions from the Pakistan agency, the ISI. “The desperate nexus is modifying methods. Their desperation is showing. Now, it is the preference for pistol-based targeting of soft targets. Targets which are unarmed and unlikely to retaliate like businessmen (including from the minority community), activists, political leaders without protection and off-duty policemen,” the police was reported by the Times of India.

At the same time these terrorists are skilled enough to observe the routine of the target and then strike at an opportune time. The spotter is an over ground worker.

These so called hybrid terrorists are said to be present in Srinagar which has been declared as terror free but still has seen some attacks on soft targets.

As per the Times of India, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Vijay Kumar accepted that there are some sleeper cells, hybrid terrorists, in the city, but police will neutralise the module soon.

“We will soon neutralise the module active in Srinagar. There are some sleeper cells that we call part-time or hybrid terrorists. We are tracking full-time terrorists but there is difficulty in tracking the part-time or hybrid terrorists as they go back to their normal work after carrying out an incident. But, we are keeping full surveillance and we will get them soon,” he said as per the Times.

Of major concern is the network that has been created by the Pakistan agency ISI to build another layer into terrorism that is those who are not listed as terrorists but carry out random attacks on instructions from the other side.

More over radicalisation of large number of youth incited for violence remains a concern and will have to be addressed promptly for these if equipped with drones can carry out attacks as that on the Jammu air force station.

Article Ends