How West Asia Conflict Is Leading To Increased Online Radicalisation In India: Report

New Delhi: The intelligence agencies in their report to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) have alerted that there has been an increasing trend of online radicalisation of gullible youth in India in the wake of conflicts in West Asia between Israel and others, The New Indian Express reported quoting sources.

In its report to the Multi-Agency Centre (MAC) under the MHA, it was suggested that there has been a massive increase in the content relating to “attack videos and literature”, which portray the strikes on Muslims by Israel as “genocide” in the internet, the sources said.

Israel stepping up its attack by attacking Hezbollah in Lebanon and killing individuals in Iran has posed a “new challenge” for the security forces in India with elements across the US and Europe spreading provocative online content through newly launched websites, which need to be looked into and blocked, the intelligence agencies suggested.

At present this is posing a major challenge for the Indian security establishment, as multi-faceted radicalisation has been on the rise and is leading to “anti-America” and “anti-Israel” among the gullible youth, they noted.

According to the sources, there is a possibility of online radicalisation getting morphed into extremism and, eventually, attacks. Radicalisation in India is high, mainly among Shia Muslims that remained untouched so far. It is also learnt from the sources that developments in West Asia are impacting Shia pockets across the country, as Lucknow, Leh, Ladakh, Hyderabad and Delhi have witnessed unusual online traffic depicting attacks and abuse against America and Israel, the report added.

Noting that the current trend was never seen in India, the sources said, the intelligence reports also indicated the collection of funds in the Shia-inhabited pockets for giving aid and support to people in Lebanon and Gaza. Even a few of the NGOs are found providing similar financial support, they added.

The Intelligence agencies have said that those who are propagating a particular type of narrative are working on particular algorithms, as children and women are being used to display the brutalities by America and Israel. They also mentioned that such trends were noted during the Syrian civil war, TNIE reported.