Page 11 - The Indian EYE 072426

OPINION JULY 24, 2026 | The Indian Eye 11

Key Trends and Patterns ments and the democratization and
decentralization of internet access.
ay 2026 proved to be a crit- To address the dual-faceted
ical month in uncovering challenges of radicalization and
Mthe cross-border machi- extremism, it is necessary to for-
nations behind the online or digital mulate a holistic policy framework
grooming of impressionable Indian and strategy grounded in existing
youth, engineered by organized crim- realities and emerging trends, while
inal elements such as Shahzad Bhatti being supported by appropriate leg-
(with ties to a new violent extremist islative guidelines. Law enforcement
outfit, Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan agencies at both the center and state
or TTH) and Pakistan’s ISI. Reports levels must be equipped with specific
noted that Bhatti is at the helm of op- tools, such as databases, to statistical-
erational planning for TTH activities ly analyze the distinctive characteris-
and the dissemination of propagan- tics and overlaps among the modes,
da. Hizbullah Ali Khan alias Tushar pathways, and types of radicaliza-
Chauhan (Meerut) and Sameer tions, extremism, criminal activity,
Khan (Delhi) were apprehended by and the criminal-terror nexus.
Uttar Pradesh’s (UP) Anti-Terror- One of the most unnerving extremist incidents affecting India’s threat landscape was the blast Social media and encrypted mes-
ism Squad (ATS) while undergoing saging companies need to be held
systematic grooming following the near the Red Fort in November 2025 (File photo) accountable through enforceable
establishment of trust between them regulatory measures and to work in
and Bhatti. sive acts and join Bhatti’s cross-bor- tremist incidents affecting India’s tandem with state authorities. At the
As is often the case in system- der network. Reportedly, Sheikh had threat landscape was the blast near same time, counter-radicalization
ic radicalization, friendship, trust also been assigned responsibilities by the Red Fort in November 2025. and counter-violent extremism mea-
and loyalty are established before Bhatti and other criminal entities, In the above-mentioned case, the sures need to be effectively imple-
potential recruits are introduced to including Ajmal Gurjar and Raza, networked perpetrators (with one mented. The government could part-
extremist and virulent content to ad- based in Pakistan. The raids conduct- of them linked to AQ in the Indian ner with the private sector to work
vance the cause of violent extremist ed by UP’s ATS form part of a broad- subcontinent) relied on ChatGPT towards creating an AI-enabled plat-
actors. By following this pattern, the er domino effect, reflecting a recur- and YouTube to construct IEDs and form that would have the capability
extremists presumably seek to en- ring trend of online grooming and bombs, while using encrypted com- to examine real-time trends within
sure that the bonds of loyalty, trust radicalization among India’s youth. munication platforms, particularly the extremist and radicalization eco-
and solidarity cultivated in the initial In April 2026, two significant Telegram. This was done to commu- systems. A pre-emptive approach
phases of interaction with potential events occurred simultaneously. nicate as well as disseminate extrem- could then be followed to stay ahead
recruits will drive the hardening of On the one hand, the Delhi Police ist propaganda targeted at those with of evolving trends and prevent online
ideological commitment to an ex- Special Cell foiled attempts by four no prior criminal record. discourse from escalating into physi-
tremist cause. members of a terror module based Key Considerations cal threats.
While investigative reports re- in Odisha, Bihar and Maharashtra Moreover, as part of its long-
veal that the above-mentioned in- to establish a Caliphate, create a he impact of online radical- term vision, India must work towards
dividuals had not yet developed a Khorasan-based Lashkar (an army ization has therefore become establishing legislative frameworks
hardliner’s worldview, Bhatti’s allure operating in the historic Khorasan Tgeographically diffuse within and institutional mechanisms that
of comfort and luxury was being wea- region), and prepare for participa- Indian society. Moreover, they signal are operating at the nexus of dig-
ponized by the TTH leader to covert- tion in Ghazwa-e-Hind (a disputed that the emerging security landscape ital literacy, psychosocial support,
ly recruit Hizbullah and Sameer into eschatological Islamic prophecy pro- is increasingly shaped by AI plat- behavioral threat assessment, and
the outfit’s rank and file. Their arrest pounded by Al-Qaeda concerning a forms and online networking, both grassroots interventions supported
formed part of a larger multi-state battle in the Indian subcontinent sig- of which have contributed to shaping by family and community leaders. It
raid aimed at disrupting a broader nalling the end of the times). the current phase of radicalization must do so while incorporating les-
network across North India estab- The members of the extremist and violent extremism in India. They sons from global best practices that
lished by Bhatti through Instagram, cell were not only radicalized entire- also underline that decentralized rad- can be contextualized within the lo-
YouTube, and encrypted communi- ly online, but also exploited the digi- icalization and violent extremism ex- cal ecosystem. Ultimately, as tech-
cation channels. tal ecosystem to establish a broader ecuted by lone wolves or micro-cells nology continues to shape the global
In addition, within less than a extremist network within India. They have become more prominent than security landscape relentlessly, In-
month, another extremist network, relied on encrypted communication activities pursued by centralized and dia’s security-driven responses need
radicalized and mobilized entirely platforms to deliberate on matters rigid organizations. Finally, the dig- to evolve at the same pace.
through WhatsApp, social media and concerning crowdfunding, propagan- ital ecosystem has exacerbated the
communication via phone numbers da dissemination, and preparations scope of the security threats confront- Saman Ayesha Kidwai is an Associate
originating in Dubai, was dismantled for an improvised explosive device ing the country. Fellow (Counter Terrorism Centre) at
in June 2026. This denoted an upward (IED) attack, most likely targeting The proliferation of online-driv- MP-IDSA.
trend in the scope of radicalization, India Gate or the Red Fort in Delhi. en networks indicates that the secu- Views expressed are of the author and
as the detained individual had al- During the same month, Maharash- rity threats arising from them cannot do not necessarily reflect the views of
ready become deeply involved in re- tra’s ATS discovered that a lone wolf be relegated. Rather, they signal a the Manohar Parrikar IDSA or of the
cruiting peers and formulating plans attack had taken place in the state, likely shift in the nature of the securi- Government of India
to carry out acts of political violence where an ISIS sympathizer, self-rad- ty threats that India will face moving
at the behest of foreign handlers. icalized after consuming extremist forward. Policies and reforms there- This article first appeared in the Com-
The crackdown took place when content online, stabbed two guards fore need to keep pace with emerg- ments section of the website (www.
UP’s ATS arrested Mohammad who failed to recite the Kalma (Is- ing security threats, which are often idsa.in) of Manohar Parrikar Institute
Sheikh (Azamgarh) on charges of in- lamic declaration of faith). exacerbated by the leapfrogging for Defense Studies and Analyses,
citing young men to carry out subver- One of the most unnerving ex- potential of technological develop- New Delhi, on July 15, 2026

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