 "How Burhan Wani represented the era of 'charismatic' militancy")
The phenomenon of militancy underwent a change when Burhan Wani, the recently killed 22-year-old Hizbul Mujahideen commander, was tagged as the poster boy of militancy on social media after posting a picture of his group on a Facebook page in 2014 that showed them in battle fatigues and holding assault rifles.
They were no longer militants hidden behind a veil, always on the run for their lives and living in hideouts.
Instead, they were seen as tech savvy heroes who had dared the armed forces and had not shied away from exposing themselves.
As soon as the picture went viral, girls were seen swooning over his handsome looks, pledging their lives to him. Further, hundreds of youth were impacted by his social media videos appealing them to join the fight.
Known to be a crazy cricket lover, Wani soon became a cult figure that marked the era of a new age militancy, where educated youth are drawn to the idea of jihad for gaining freedom.
He came from a well educated family. His father is a school headmaster and mother is a post-graduate. He himself was a bright student who scored over 90% in his Class 8 exams, but dropped out 10 days before his Class 10 boards to take up the gun.
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Charming, handsome and charismatic, Wani was just 16 years old when he left his home to join militancy six years ago. By the time of his death, on July 8, he had become a household name in South Kashmir, a narrative of heroism for the people, a legend, a hero on the righteous path, a religious man who feared Allah but a fearless fighter for the cause of freedom.
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What gave his appeals strength is the fact that he never camouflaged himself, which people took as a sign of heroism.
What gave his appeals strength is the fact that he never camouflaged himself, which people took as a sign of heroism.
Facebook and WhatsApp surely have an immense reach and when you have a young, good-looking man inviting you for jihad, it does make an impact.
But what we are witnessing right now, this phase of militancy, is not unique to India, with the Dhaka attack being the latest example.
The Bangladeshi terrorists who attacked an upscale cafe were highly educated teenagers, actively used social media platforms, even studied abroad but were still brainwashed with misinterpretations of the Quran's teachings.
Some of them were admirers of the controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, a link common between Wani and the Dhaka attackers.
Wani's social media activities show he followed Naik as he tweeted "Support Zakir Naik or Time Will Come When Qur'an Recitation will be Banned", post the Dhaka attack controversy.
Tech savvy Wani used social media to voice his hate for the Indian army and propagate his belief of militancy.
Such a scenario can be really worrisome for any country that wishes to contain militancy as figures like Wani give a new momentum to militancy by entering the psyche of the youth.
And the effect can be seen already, as massive number of his followers are protesting and offering funeral prayers for the slain militants. Youths are raising slogans in his support and are calling him a martyr and many separatists leaders have announced a shut down in several areas.