NEW DELHI: A factor often overlooked is the impact of peer group pressure on young minds in schools and colleges. In the case of Riddhi Patel, she was influenced by her high school social studies teacher.
Across the world, the ongoing radicalisation of a large number of youth remains an issue of concern. While this phenomenon is not new, it is worrisome as individuals and groups embrace radical ideology and advocate the use of violence, including acts of terrorism, in furtherance of their political and ideological beliefs. Socio-economic deprivation is commonly believed to be the prime reason for individuals gravitating towards radical ideology, but that does not quite explain why a large number of individuals from well-to-do families have chosen this path. For instance, the terror attack on the Holey Artisan bakery in Dhaka’s diplomatic area on 1 July 2016, was carried out by six young men, most of whom hailed from upper-middle-class families and received a good education. None of them experienced deprivation; instead, they came from affluent segments of society.
Similarly, the Easter Sunday blasts that rocked Sri Lanka on 21 April 2019, which killed over 270 people, were perpetrated by youth from affluent families. As in the case of the Holey Artisan Bakery attack in Bangladesh, deprivation was not the motivating factor for resorting to terrorism. In both these incidents, as well as in many incidents in India and across the globe, ideological factors, psychology, and group dynamics play crucial roles.
India has grappled with terrorist violence for decades. While insurgencies in some of the states of Northeast India have been quelled and Khalistani terrorism has been eliminated, the influence of radical Islamist ideology on a portion of India’s youth remains a significant concern.
A recent case exemplifies this: Touseef Ali Farouqui, a fourth-year B Tech student in the Bioscience department of IIT-Guwahati, was detained by Assam police on 23 March 2024, in Kamrup district and subsequently arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Farouqui, hailing from a middle-class family, was relatively well-off and academically bright, as evidenced by his admission to the prestigious IIT. Yet he opted to embrace radical ideology and align himself with a terrorist organisation, the Islamic State. He articulated his allegiance in an open letter on social media, denouncing Indian society and institutions as part of a “Kafir” society. His radicalisation stemmed from religious beliefs, driving him to view joining the Islamic State as an honourable act against his own country.
Similarly, the case of Riddhi Patel, a 28-year-old resident of Bakersfield, California, is equally troubling. On 10 April 2024, while ostensibly advocating for the Palestinian people at a Bakersfield city council meeting, she threatened Mayor Karen Doh and the council members, saying, “We will kill you.” Patel was arrested and faces 16 felony charges, raising questions about how such a bright and accomplished young woman became susceptible to radical ideology.
In another incident on 25 April 2024, Achinthya Sivalingan, an Indian-origin student studying at Princeton University, was one of two students arrested and barred from the campus for staging pro-Palestine protests. The protesters, numbering about a hundred, were demanding that colleges sever financial ties with Israel and divest from companies they believed were enabling the conflict in Gaza.
These incidents are symptomatic of a wider malaise that demands understanding and action. A parenting organisation, hinduparentsnetwork.org, highlighted a disturbing trend where younger cohorts of Hindu Americans are increasingly falling victim to extreme ideologies, including those that advocate anarchy and lawlessness.
A factor often overlooked is the impact of peer group pressure on young minds in schools and colleges. In the case of Riddhi Patel, she was influenced by her high school social studies teacher, as evidenced by her social media posts. She was associated with activism, but over the years fell victim to extreme ideologies, partly encouraged by her teacher. This points to the need to sensitise teachers, not just in their personal conduct but also in playing an active role in curbing the spread of radical ideologies and violent extremism.
They need to create a conducive classroom atmosphere by being aware of the nature of controversial issues that the students are exposed to, the challenges that such issues may pose, and assisting in identifying bias and dealing with it effectively.
The home environment may also give rise to radical behaviour among children. In the case of Farouqui, as stated by his father, there was something that his mother knew but chose to keep hidden. It was also stated that the institute had a counsellor who should have been in a position to counsel the boy and prevent him from taking such a drastic step. However, this amounted to denying personal responsibility and shifting it onto the institute. The parents’ responsibility does not just lie in keeping their children under observation; it also manifests in keeping household conversations free from bias and prejudice. Two cases serve as illustrations.
In one of the leading schools in Delhi, an agitated mother complained to her friend that her son, who was in the fourth grade, was told by some of his classmates to go to Pakistan.
Such conversations among children are not acceptable, so the friend went to the school to inquire about the matter. There, she met the boy and asked him if what his mother stated was true. “Yes,” replied the boy. “And what led to such a conversation?” she asked. “Well,” said the boy, “I only told them that they worship monkeys, and they told me to go to Pakistan.” Obviously, the children are being exposed to biases in their own home environment. Parents do not think before discussing issues in front of their children, which could have a lasting effect on their young minds.
In another instance, a little boy aged eight years, was playing by himself in the colony. An older boy asked him why he wasn’t joining the other kids in playing, to which he replied that he was a Muslim and they may not play with him. “Come,” said the older boy. “Make friends with them.” “No,” said the young child. “When I grow up, I will kill all of them.” Such incidents are disturbing and reflect on the way our children are being brought up.
While the environment may be communalised due to a multiplicity of factors, we need to be careful of what our children are exposed to. This is applicable to all religious groups. It is vital that as our children navigate an increasingly complex world, they are equipped with critical thinking skills that are rooted in values, so that, in later years, as young men and women, they do not fall prey to the self-destructive path of radical ideologies.
The author is Director, India Foundation.