Maha deradicalisation programme only for minorities; saffron terrorism ignored

Mumbai, Feb 4: In a narrow-minded move, the Maharashtra government has rolled out a deradicalisation programme targeting only minority community. The programme has completely ignored the saffron terrorism.

The proposal includes opening vyayam shalas in minority areas, making National Cadet Corps (NCC), Bharat Scouts and Guides (BS&G) compulsory in minority schools, and setting up an independent media outlet to deliver ‘mainstream thoughts and values’ to the minority youth in the State.

The Union Home Ministry had asked three States to draw up a comprehensive counter-strategy in the wake of attempts by international terrorist outfits to propagate what they call ‘jihadi’ ideologies.

A three-member team of the Maharashtra’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) led by Director General of Police (DGP) Pravin Dixit had presented an IS counter-strategy at New Delhi in the second week of January.

Concurrently, the State Home Department has rolled out a 50-point socio-economic strategy with the aim of ‘bringing youth of the minority community into the mainstream’ and making coordinated efforts and policies in 13 sectors, including education, sports, urban planning, law and order, skill development, women and child, social justice, and health.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has approved the proposal and passed a government resolution on it. The proposed responses drawn up against the threat of home-grown extremism include: plans to teach religious texts from all sects in minority schools and teaching merits of democratic States and demerits of dictatorships as a separate chapter in the Urdu textbooks.