Though defeated militarily in Syria and Iraq, it’s caliphate now gone, ISIS continues to pose a threat to the world. This was made amply clear by the group’s April 21 attack in Sri Lanka, which killed 250 people, making it one of the deadliest terror attacks in the history of South Asia. Meanwhile, it has emerged that those who conducted the attack had frequently visited India. This raises fears that ISIS has gained a foothold in that country. Perhaps this shouldn’t be surprising. Terrorist outfits thrive in areas with high levels of sectarian tensions and bitter religious or ethnic divides. Since being elected into power, India’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has stoked anti-Muslim sentiments for its own political gains. As a result, there has been a sharp uptick in attacks against Indian Muslims. After the Pulwama bombing, there were incidents of Kashmiris being targeted in mainland India, with some even being evicted from rented properties. This creates just the right conditions for ISIS recruitment.
An ISIS base in India poses a serious threat to the region for many reasons. Should ISIS be able to conduct a major attack in India, tensions would rise between India and Pakistan. The two countries could find themselves on the brink of war, just like they did after the Pulwama incident. This time however, it is likely that it won’t be a convoy of security personnel which will be targeted, but a crowded city centre, resulting in a high civilian death count. This would impact inter-faith relations in the country even more. Additionally, there are numerous other militant organisations in India fighting against the state. The presence of a group like ISIS could lead to these groups becoming further radicalised as well. This threat would be greatest in Kashmir, where the youth has fostered a particularly high level of anti-India sentiment since the BJP came into office.
It is hoped that whatever party takes power in India following the conclusion of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections corrects the wrongs done in recent years. The Indian media must also play its due role in this regard. If not, things could get far too out of hand to be contained later. *