By Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net
A week after the UP Anti-terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested six men from Bijnor district of Western Uttar Pradesh, ATS has now shifted into a counselling mode and has named in ‘Ghar-Wapasi’.
The deradicalisation program is being taken to stop youth from getting involved in any terror-related activity or organisations.
In a statement released yesterday, the ATS discussed the procedure which will be followed towards de-radicalization. Religious preachers will accompany friends and families to provide counselling to such youngsters and the government will help such people in getting jobs, education and skill training.
The families of the youth in question will be provided with enough evidence so that they agree to de-radicalize their kin.
The statement from ATS uses the term ‘DeRad Candidates’ for those who will be successfully de-radicalized. Police will meet the people listed as ‘DeRad’ candidates from time to time.
The statement also said that impromptu meetings can also be organised during the course of the program. DeRad Candidates’ identities will be kept secret and ATS has urged media to not to reveal the identities of DeRad candidates.
The de-radicalization connection will be terminated after one year but police have said that the youths will remain under vigilance.
Although many terror-accused or people arrested in such cases have ended up working as police informers or sources, this time ATS has promised to not to use DeRad people as informers.
The statement doesn’t mention a particular religion or ethnicity. A statement also claims that the whole program will be carried out in secrecy.
The use of the term ‘Ghar Wapsi’ will, however, raise eyebrows, given that this term has also been used by hardline Hindutva groups to “reconvert” people who left Hinduism and converted to other religions, especially Islam and Christianity.
On the early morning of April 20, 2017, UP ATS with special squads of the police force of five states, arrested six men from Badapur town of Bijnor district. Four of them were let go a day after when police found no substantial evidence against them. These four will be the first to put under the deradicalisation program.