As they say “change is the only constant” and obviously change doesn’t only apply to positive deeds, it affects disturbed thoughts and negative activities as well. The methodologies being used by terrorists over a long period have also been under regular refinement. The term ‘White Collar Terrorism’ is derived from ‘White Collar Crime’ defined in 1939 by the famous sociologist Edwin Sutherland.
White Collar Terrorists in layman term can be explained as the individuals who are involved in spreading terrorism without using violence, without showing their presence in public, no direct involvement in any activities, using fake identity in physical domain, no identity in virtual domain, completely implicit, however, their performance is considered as worst kind because they are silent and unseen workers whose activities causes immeasurable damage by influencing youth populace using social media platforms to spread fake news and false correlation in operations carried out by security personnel.On mingling the thoughts off ‘Why a person chooses to become white collar terrorist, what all gains he achieves by performing discretely not only from security forces but also many a times discrete from their own kind i.e. terrorist organizations”, I have derived two possible factors which might be suiting their cause. Firstly, the money; these kinds of individuals are well paid by overseas terror funding organizations and local political parties based on their status in the society, their job profile, political connections and many other factors which helps them to stay out of the suspicion zone of security forces and also allows them a position from where they can influence a maj or base of youth. Secondly, the ideology; their ideology is based on total radicalization and communal dispute, but on the other hand, their educated mind and status in society stops them to take part directly in terrorist activities. First factor presides over second one because many a time it is witnessed that white collar terrorists have nothing to do with so called fake “azadi” demand as well as any personal agenda against security forces. Their primary involvement in terrorism is related to nothing but money. Being well educated in a well-established profession, of high social status, of well-known family, they don’t have to be involved directly in terrorism. However, their position attracts overseas anti national elements who in turn lure them by offering next level power and position in their profession as well as society coupled with lots of money and as such the offer involves almost zero percent of risk to them and their family resulting in a positive response nearly every time. The second factor might be true for few but very rare because if ideology is so strong then at some point self-involvement in physical domain will be done, which is not the case.
The modus operandi of a white collar terrorist is to affect those having some hatred against the system, partially educated youth who are easily influenced by the news on social media. A white collar terrorist’s prime task is to spread rumors by portraying each action taken by government or security force for betterment of people as action for communal division. They falsely relate operations carried out by security forces with some decades old photographs and videos with a motive of running a never ending cycle of hatred in young minds. Any photo taken during operation is edited as per need and made viral on all fake social media platforms. The accounts made of social media platforms are given such religious names and communal identities which earn local youth belief and affect their ideology as well.
Today’s best entertainment for the youth of age group between 12 to 35 years is social media and a white-collar terrorist’s task is to keep their mind inclined towards faith that anything and everything on social media is for saving their religious values, their communal harmony and the need of them picking weapon is the last resort to solve problems. It is ‘White Collar Terrorists’ who are portraying specific non local civilians as danger to the community. They make the youth believe that the only way to stop this intrusion into own society is to eliminate them. After spreading such propaganda some misguided youth who have shown interest in the posts put on social media, are contacted and brain washed. Later once fully disillusioned, they are supplied weapon and some amount of illegal money to eliminate innocent local/non local civilian. In this act, a White-Collar Terrorist is the main culprit even more than the one who pulled the trigger, but unfortunately nonviolent discrete action taken by the White-Collar Terrorist is not of any account as he is unknown till, we get the specific information about him. However, tracking them is like finding a needle in a haystack until specific HUMINT or TECHINT is available.
The identity of these White Collar Terrorists mostly remains secret, even at times from their family members, however, government and security forces have started few innovative methods which might help in identifying and destroying the module, tracking suspicious phone numbers, fund transfer in the accounts of suspected individuals, strengthening the human network and using social media to nullify fake news and negate propaganda by posting real photographs and calling out such white collar terrorists.
Social media is a double edged weapon which if influencing youth for wrong deeds may also be used to retrieve their faith towards common cause. Slowly the affect is seen on youth and most of them have already understood that the white collar terrorists are just using them for baseless and false causes and anyone dying is never ever related to some well-established, well-educated family, they will always be someone poor, uneducated and in need of money. These kinds of needs are being explored by white collar terrorists and the cycle of unwarranted hatred is kept on running. Hence, there is a need to arrest this new concept of ‘Hybrid Terrorism’ wherein a joint strategy needs to be evolved between Army, CAPFs & JKP as also civil administration of local influencers so as to establish a robust mechanism duly incorporating a strong HUMINT & TECHINT network over the shady, grey & suspected individuals who may be lured or otherwise willingly act as ‘Hybrid Terrorists’. A theme based IW campaign through civil administration and various Armed Forces Social Media handles to denounce the propaganda & psychological operations by the separatists & Pak supported organisation; ISI in particular, is the need of the hour.
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