With reference to "The jihadi challenge" (July 11), there is no doubt that challenges in front of the central government are manifold and I agree with your suggestion that both jihadi threat and militancy need to be handled differently. The issue becomes all the more complex and disturbing when we learn that people like Burhan Muzaffar Wani and all those who killed innocents in the Dhaka cafe were educated and from well-to-do families. So, it is to do with the mindset which needs to be addressed accordingly.
First and foremost, the government needs to formulate a strategy about how to stop people like Zakir Naik, whose outfit Islamic Research Foundation's suspicious activity in attracting youth towards terrorism has come under light. The Maharashtra government might have delayed probing his organisation's source of funding etc., but at least in future it should be on its toes to see that such bodies do not grow at all. Unfortunately, the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is rapidly becoming akin to what it was during the 90s, when terrorism was at its peak. If educated youth have started venturing into terror activities, it is a very alarming sign. The state government might not act against the guilty fearing backlash from its own people. But it is high time that all stakeholders - the state and central governments, Hurriyat and local representatives - meet and agree to a strategy for bringing peace into the Valley again. The least the government can do is to create employment opportunities and bridge the gap between the Valley and other parts of the country so that the Kashmiri youth do not get distracted by people like Naik.
Bal Govind Noida
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