Invisible radicalisation: IS, Al-Qaeda target parents to recruit youths in South India
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Invisible radicalisation, particularly in South India, has emerged as a major area of concern for security agencies, including the Intelligence Bureau, National Investigation Agency (NIA) and local police forces. Terror outfits such as Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, which increasingly rely on radicalisation rather than direct ground operations, have significantly altered their methods of functioning.
An official said recent de-radicalisation initiatives have focused extensively on identifying and monitoring vulnerable youth in the southern states. “There is particular emphasis on college students, unemployed youth and those who are disgruntled. The Islamic State and Al-Qaeda have realised that online surveillance of these groups is extensive.
Their current strategy is, therefore, to reach out directly to the parents or close relatives of potential recruits,” the official said. The objective is not to convert parents or close relatives to the violent ideology of these outfits. Instead, they seek to draw these individuals into their network and persuade them to radicalise their children.
This approach is now being described as home-radicalisation, the official added. An Intelligence Bureau official said that handlers from abroad have been roped in to chat with parents and close relatives. Once these individuals are convinced, they are told to scout for material which could be used to radicalise their children. “This strategy is considered more effective and carries far less risk. Security agencies are generally less likely to suspect parents and close relatives. Parents, in particular, are prime targets for these groups because they attract the least suspicion,” the official said.
Further, the radicalisation is taking place firsthand and not through some third party. This makes the success rate extremely high. There have been cases where handlers have reached out to the youth directly. There is a two-in-ten chance of a youth being radicalised by a third party, the official said. Many who initially show interest tend to lose motivation or back out during the radicalisation process. However, the situation is different when a parent or close relative is involved.
Parents and relatives have greater influence over young people, making them more persuasive and significantly increasing the chances of successful radicalisation. Another official said that a child very rarely questions the parent or a relative. He believes what they are saying is the gospel truth and would blindly follow what they are saying.
The child is convinced to believe that what their parents or relatives are saying is the way to lead their lives, and this makes them extremely radical and highly dangerous, the official said. States such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka have been the biggest radicalisation theatres for the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda. While at first these groups had expected the radicalised youth to carry out lone-actor attacks, they have now been told to hold off.
The strategy that is being adopted currently is to avoid mass casualty incidents, preach the violent ideology discreetly, try to be part of the political system, and build social legitimacy in society. The strategy can be implemented with relative ease and poses a serious security concern given the shift in radicalisation methods.
A youth radicalised by a parent or close relative becomes a particularly susceptible target for the further entrenchment of extremist ideology, the official said. The Islamic State has used this tactic, and it has worked once for the outfit. In Thiruvananthapuram, the police invoked the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or UAPA after it was found that a 16-year0old boy was radicalised by his mother and stepfather.
They were persuading him to join the Islamic State. The case was resisted by the Venjaramoodu police. The case was registered in November 2025. Officials say that fortunately this case was discovered, but it does not mean that it would act as a deterrent for terror groups and not attempt similar acts on a much wider scale, the official said.
In many case, the agency driven de-radicalised strategy has managed to bring back such persons back into the mainstream. This has worked largely as the agencies have managed to convince the youth about the ill will of such propaganda.
They have also been able to cite incidents in which recruiters have been trying to misguide youth into joining these outfits while the real picture is something else. However, to convince a person radicalised by their parent or radicalised against joining these terror outfits would be a Herculean task, as the process is taking place firsthand and not through some third-party handler, an official said.
An official said recent de-radicalisation initiatives have focused extensively on identifying and monitoring vulnerable youth in the southern states. “There is particular emphasis on college students, unemployed youth and those who are disgruntled. The Islamic State and Al-Qaeda have realised that online surveillance of these groups is extensive.
Their current strategy is, therefore, to reach out directly to the parents or close relatives of potential recruits,” the official said. The objective is not to convert parents or close relatives to the violent ideology of these outfits. Instead, they seek to draw these individuals into their network and persuade them to radicalise their children.
This approach is now being described as home-radicalisation, the official added. An Intelligence Bureau official said that handlers from abroad have been roped in to chat with parents and close relatives. Once these individuals are convinced, they are told to scout for material which could be used to radicalise their children. “This strategy is considered more effective and carries far less risk. Security agencies are generally less likely to suspect parents and close relatives. Parents, in particular, are prime targets for these groups because they attract the least suspicion,” the official said.
Further, the radicalisation is taking place firsthand and not through some third party. This makes the success rate extremely high. There have been cases where handlers have reached out to the youth directly. There is a two-in-ten chance of a youth being radicalised by a third party, the official said. Many who initially show interest tend to lose motivation or back out during the radicalisation process. However, the situation is different when a parent or close relative is involved.
Parents and relatives have greater influence over young people, making them more persuasive and significantly increasing the chances of successful radicalisation. Another official said that a child very rarely questions the parent or a relative. He believes what they are saying is the gospel truth and would blindly follow what they are saying.
The child is convinced to believe that what their parents or relatives are saying is the way to lead their lives, and this makes them extremely radical and highly dangerous, the official said. States such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka have been the biggest radicalisation theatres for the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda. While at first these groups had expected the radicalised youth to carry out lone-actor attacks, they have now been told to hold off.
The strategy that is being adopted currently is to avoid mass casualty incidents, preach the violent ideology discreetly, try to be part of the political system, and build social legitimacy in society. The strategy can be implemented with relative ease and poses a serious security concern given the shift in radicalisation methods.
A youth radicalised by a parent or close relative becomes a particularly susceptible target for the further entrenchment of extremist ideology, the official said. The Islamic State has used this tactic, and it has worked once for the outfit. In Thiruvananthapuram, the police invoked the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or UAPA after it was found that a 16-year0old boy was radicalised by his mother and stepfather.
They were persuading him to join the Islamic State. The case was resisted by the Venjaramoodu police. The case was registered in November 2025. Officials say that fortunately this case was discovered, but it does not mean that it would act as a deterrent for terror groups and not attempt similar acts on a much wider scale, the official said.
In many case, the agency driven de-radicalised strategy has managed to bring back such persons back into the mainstream. This has worked largely as the agencies have managed to convince the youth about the ill will of such propaganda.
They have also been able to cite incidents in which recruiters have been trying to misguide youth into joining these outfits while the real picture is something else. However, to convince a person radicalised by their parent or radicalised against joining these terror outfits would be a Herculean task, as the process is taking place firsthand and not through some third-party handler, an official said.
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Note: The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the ap7am team.