The Invisible Threat Challenging India’s National Security

On October 13, 2024, communal violence broke out in the Maharajganj area of Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh, a state that borders the sensitive Terai region along the Indo-Nepal border, leaving one person dead and several others wounded. The violence, which erupted in the wake of a dispute during Durga puja idol submersion procession, spiraled into large-scale clashes, after a 22-year-old Ram Gopal Mishra was shot dead by rioters who initially pelted stones on the procession. Soon the religious tensions between Hindu and Muslim communities exacerbated in the entire area. Over 80 individuals, mostly Muslims were arrested by the police in connection with the riots and several others reportedly fled the area, fearing police retaliation.

While the immediate trigger of the violence may have been a local dispute, the communal clashes in Bahraich highlight a deeper, more disturbing trend, one that involves the gradual increase in radicalisation of youth in northern states of the country bordering the Terai region along the Indo-Nepal border. This phenomenon has been catalysed by several factors, including the growing presence of illegal madrassas, the strategic political exploitation of local tensions, and the manipulation of religious identity by radical groups.

A background to the Build-up in Terai Region:

The Terai region, a fertile strip of land along the Indo-Nepal border, has historically been a melting pot of diverse cultures, languages, and religions. Its proximity to Nepal has made it an area with significant cross-border free movement, including trade and migration. This geographical and cultural overlap, however, has also made the region vulnerable to external influences, including those from radical Islamist groups seeking to exploit local vulnerabilities for their own agendas. 

After the outbreak of Afghan jihad in the 1980s, much of the  funding from abroad received by Inter Intelligence Service (ISI) of Pakistan’s military for the furtherance of war and jihadi recruitment purposes went into the construction of mosques and madrassas worldwide. The Pakistani government officially donated money for the construction of mosques and madrassas in Nepal. In 1994, the then Pakistan Prime Minister (PM) Benazir Bhutto donated Rs 1 million (PKR), while the Pakistan embassy in Kathmandu donated a further Rs 2,50,000 in the same year for the Madrasa Islamia School in Kathmandu and another madrassa in Mahottari district bordering India. By late 1995, ISI had pumped more than three million dollars into Nepal to build mosques and madrassas, especially in the Terai region, thereby establishing a foothold on the northeastern border of India for its covert terror activities against India.

In subsequent years the Terai region saw tremendous growth in the Muslim population on both sides of the Indo-Nepali border. In 1991 Muslims constituted 3.5 percent of Nepal’s total population, but 12 to 13 percent in the Terai region. By 2006 the proportion of the Muslim population in the Terai region exponentially shot up to 96.7 percent. 

The number of mosques and madrassas started steadily increasing as well. By 2006 the number had grown to 1900 on both sides of the Indo-Nepal border of which over 800 were on the Nepal side. By 2024, the number of mosques and madrassas jumped to nearly 2000 on the Nepal side while on the Indian side it is stated to exceed 4000. Islamic Sangh Nepal (ISN) is the frontline organisation running the majority of madrassas and mosques in Nepal and it receives substantial funding from Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar to carry out its activities. 

In the end, the Terai region witnessed a surge in the spread of radical ideology. One of the most concerning factors contributing to this radicalization was the rapid proliferation of illegal madrassas (Islamic schools) that often operate without state oversight and serve as breeding grounds for extremist views. These madrassas usually spring up in impoverished areas, where the local population may feel disenfranchised or neglected. As a result, young boys from these communities are often enrolled in these schools, where they are exposed to an extremist interpretation of religious teachings, and also influenced by global jihadist ideologies.

This problem is compounded by the lack of proper government regulation and monitoring that allows these madrassas to operate unchecked. Secondly, owing to the porous border and free border crossing most of the preachers from these madrassas found it easy to spread their extremist teachings on the Indian side of the region. Their overwhelming numbers over the years not only led to the mainstreaming of their ideology among the masses in the immediate vicinity but it also spread exponentially in the bordering states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. 

Role of catalyst played by Jamaat-ud-Dawa and LeT:

A significant player in this radicalisation process is the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), a group led by the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) Chief and mastermind of 2008 Mumbai terror attacks Hafiz Saeed. Originally founded as the Markaz Dawa-e-Islam (MDI) in the 1980s, the JuD has been known for providing its patronage to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the terrorist group responsible for numerous terror attacks in India.

Through its network of madrassas, JuD has been extending its influence in regions like the Terai. These madrassas are often positioned strategically in areas where there are vulnerable communities. In the Terai region, the Jamaat-ud-Dawa has operated under the cover of charitable activities, such as providing education, medical care, and humanitarian aid, to gain the trust of local populations. However, the core agenda of the JuD has always been to sow discord and create divisions, using religion as a tool for radicalisation.

Since late 1995, Jamaat-ud-Dawa in conjunction with Pakistan military’s intelligence wing ‘ISI’ has been involved in setting up madrassas all across the Indo-Nepal border. JuD has contributed to spreading radical thought, furthering the agenda of creating a divide within Indian society. These madrassas, often teaching a distorted version of Islam act as incubators for impressionable young minds.

Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) set up important vectors of JuD’s infiltration and recruitment of Indian Muslims into terror ranks through home-grown proscribed terror organisations of SIMI and Indian Mujahideen. In recent years they maintained their vectors through another proscribed terror organisation, the People’s Front of India (PFI). It is important to note that the founder of both, SIMI and PFI is E. AbuBacker, a resident of Kozhikode, Kerala.

Additionally, a 2018-19 US State Department report also categorically stated that the Indian Mujahideen maintain close ties with other terror entities, including the Pakistan-based LeT, the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and the Harkat-ul-Jihad-e-Islami (HuJI) to operate from Nepal against India. The members of these organisations take shelter in Muslim-dominated clusters of the Terai.

Hafiz Saeed, the founder of Jamaat-ud-Dawa and its predecessor ‘MDI’, remains a key figure in the global jihadist movement. His organization ‘JuD’ has not only contributed to the radicalisation in Pakistan but has also sought to export this ideology  into India. 

Saeed’s organisation, the ‘JuD’ has been instrumental in promoting the idea of “resistance” (Jihad) against India, thus furthering the cause of jihad in South Asia. His continued influence, despite efforts by India and the international community to curb it, ensures that the radicalization of youth in the Terai and other border regions will persist. This ideological export of violence is part of a larger strategy to destabilise India and undermine its national security, using both local grievances and global jihadist narratives.

Interplay between Radicalization and Communal Riots: 

The communal violence in Maharajganj can be viewed as an outcome of the growing radicalisation in the region, with the local socio-political environment being deeply influenced by extremist groups. The clashes that broke out in Bahraich, reflect a broader pattern of rising religious tensions in northern India.

The growing presence of radical madrassas and the ideologies they propagate have contributed to a sense of alienation within certain Muslim communities. As the radicalisation of the youth increases, the chances of such conflicts escalating into larger-scale violence grow.

The issue is compounded by the political atmosphere in India, where religious polarisation has become more pronounced in recent years. Leaders and political groups that appeal to religious sentiments, often fuelled by social media platforms, further inflame these tensions. In such an environment, the radicalised youth are more susceptible to the manipulation of these narratives, which often involve a sense of victimhood and calls for revenge.

Cross-Border Influences and its Impact on National Security

The rise of radicalisation in the Terai region is not just a local issue; it has significant implications for India’s national security. The radical Islamist  organisations involved have long been known to exploit porous borders to spread their influence, recruit operatives and orchestrate terror attacks. 

The madrassas that proliferate in this region, provide fertile ground for extremist ideologies to take root. These madrassas act as breeding grounds for the next generation of jihadi fighters, who may be recruited not only to trigger local riots but for larger terror attacks targeting Indian interests.

Moreover, groups like JuD have been linked to efforts aimed at destabilising India, using radicalised youth for both propaganda and violent activities. The goal is to create a fissure within Indian society, pitting communities against each other, and weakening the national fabric. This form of psychological warfare seeks to divide and destabilise India, while also building a network of operatives who can be deployed for further extremist activities.

Potential Role of Global Terror Networks: ISIS and Al-Qaeda

The increasing radicalisation in India, particularly in regions like the Terai can be exploited by global terror organizations like ISIS and Al-Qaeda. These groups have long sought to establish a foothold in South Asia, and the radicalised youth represent a key target for recruitment.

ISIS, for example, has been known to exploit social media and online platforms to recruit disaffected youth, promising them a sense of purpose and belonging. Similarly, Al-Qaeda has long had a strategic interest in South Asia, seeking to exploit local conflicts and instigate violence that can destabilise the region. 

For young men who have been radicalised, groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda offer a sense of global purpose and the allure of fighting for a broader cause. These organizations prey on their disillusionment and channel their anger into violent jihad.. 

Conclusion

The communal violence in Maharajganj is just one example of how radicalisation in the Terai region is contributing to larger-scale societal divisions  threatening India’s national security. The spread of radical ideologies through madrassas, particularly those influenced by extremist groups like Jamaat-ud-Dawa, creates an environment where young people are vulnerable to exploitation by global terror networks like LeT, JeM, ISIS and AQIS (Al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent).

To safeguard its internal security and unity, India must address the root causes of radicalisation, particularly by regulating madrassas, countering extremist propaganda, and building resilience within its communities by lowering political polarisation. Only through a comprehensive approach can India prevent further exploitation of radicalised youth by terrorist organizations and make sure that the invisible threats lurking on our borders and within are brought under control.