New Delhi: The increasing use of children by pro-Khalistan elements in what security agencies describe as a strategic shift has emerged as a major concern for Indian authorities.
The involvement of children in activities considered anti-national has become increasingly common in recent years. “It is a deliberate strategy aimed at evading scrutiny and action by law enforcement agencies,” an official said.
The use of children during a Nagar Kirtan procession in Canada on June 7 has drawn attention from security agencies. An official said there is nothing inherently wrong with children participating in a procession of religious or cultural significance. However, in this event, girls estimated to be between six and ten years of age appeared to be wearing outfits resembling suicide vests, raising serious concerns.
The main theme of the procession was revenge for Operation Bluster. There was also a tableau of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi being shot. Further, posters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the caption ‘most wanted’ were also on display. Children were made to take off their shoes and beat a cutout of PM Modi as well. The Indian Tricolour was allegedly insulted during the procession, with a national flag tied to a vehicle and dragged along the road.
An Intelligence Bureau official said the deployment of children in such protests serves multiple purposes. According to the official, pro-Khalistan groups seek to expose children to their ideology at a very young age, to foster long-term support for the movement.
“The children are being encouraged to develop anti-India sentiments early in life so that, as they grow older, they become active participants and supporters of the Khalistan cause,” the official claimed.
Basically, these extremist elements want to create a next generation of Khalistanis, the official said. These elements also want to send out a clear message to the security agencies that, for the sake of their cause, they are ready to go to any length, including involving minor children, particularly those between six and ten years of age, said the official.
Another official said that placing children at the forefront of protests makes it far more difficult for law enforcement agencies to respond effectively. According to the official, if a demonstration turns violent, officers would first have to ensure the safety and removal of the children before taking action against the protesters involved in the unrest.
The use of children and juveniles is a typical ISI (Inter Services Intelligence) strategy, and we all know that the Khalistanis are the puppets of the Pakistan spy agency,” another official said.
The ISI recruits young people in Pakistan and trains them to become terrorists. They know that the people of that age are very impressionable and hence brainwashing and radicalising them is easier. If children from the age of 8 or 10 are brainwashed and radicalised until they turn 18, then they become hardened criminals, the official said.
The Khalistani extremist elements are trying to replicate the same strategy and hence this pattern shift, officials say.
“There are concerns that such tactics could eventually be replicated in Punjab, as part of a broader strategy aimed at shaping and reinforcing a particular narrative,” the official said.
The official said that the Khalistan elements are gradually trying to move away from the referendums they used to hold earlier. Canada and the United Kingdom are working closely with India to solve this problem. This has made it hard for them to operate openly. Instead, they are propagating for a separate Khalistan nation under the garb of religious and cultural events.
The Indian security agencies say that similar tactics could be used in Punjab, and hence, close monitoring would be essential.
Disguising the Khalistan cause, while also trying to make a point, is a safe way of doing things, the agencies say. With the ISI pushing hard for the revival of the Khalistan movement in Punjab, extra caution must be exercised, and a close watch should be kept on religious and cultural events and also the use of children as a cover, an official said.
(IANS)
