New Delhi, April 1 – The downfall of the National Thowheed Jamath (NJT), which masterminded the 2019 Easter bombings in Sri Lanka, came as a major relief for security agencies. The NJT had not only spread its ideology in Sri Lanka, but was also active in the southern states, particularly in Tamil Nadu. While the NJT remains largely defunct today, agencies are closely monitoring operatives linked to the outfit, prior to its collapse.
Intelligence inputs suggest that some former operatives are looking to revive the NJT and focus its activities primarily in South India.
Officials say that these operatives realize they cannot operate on the scale that the NJT used to. However, their intention is to form small groups and engage in radicalization activities.
States like Kerala and Tamil Nadu have long been prone to radicalization, and the former cadres are seeking to take advantage of this.
The NJT has a long history in South India. Its founder, Bahrain Hashim, had ambitious plans and visited Tamil Nadu several times. He was able to radicalize a large number of young people.
Jamesha Mubeen, the mastermind behind the car bomb explosion near the Sangameshwar Temple in Coimbatore, was closely linked to Hashim.
The car bomb exploded on October 22, 2022, and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had stated that Mubeen was planning to replicate the 2019 Easter bombings in South India.
An official from the Intelligence Bureau says that there are many who want to fill the void left by the Popular Front of India (PFI). The PFI was banned by the Modi government, and since then, the outfit has remained inactive.
Although attempts to revive the NJT are being made, they have so far not been successful. Operatives linked to the NJT are looking to exploit this void and carry out radicalization activities.
The agencies say that these operatives remain in contact with members of the Islamic State, which has a significant presence in South India. Hashim, before his death and during his peak, openly supported the Islamic State and even sought to carry out operations with the group in Sri Lanka.
Moreover, the NJT and the Islamic State share a common objective and ideology, and therefore, operatives from both groups are capable of working together. Those linked to the NJT, who are still active, will seek the help of the Islamic State and former PFI members to establish small-scale operations.
Another official said that these individuals are not looking to create larger modules. Their aim is to carry out quiet operations in towns, cities, and villages, which are solely focused on radicalization. They are trying to form smaller groups and provide them with a target audience to radicalize.
While this appears to be a smaller operation, if left unchecked, it could become a major threat, another official said.
What these people aim to do is to create a movement. Similar to lone wolf actors who carry out terror attacks on their own, these elements are attempting something similar.
They realize that working as a group will make it easier for the agencies to identify them. They intend to have a large number of groups, each with no more than three people, to spread a radical ideology, the official explained.
The intention is to radicalize a large number of young people so that they can act independently and continue the process.
The agencies warn that the attempt is to create a silent mass movement, so that the number of people who are radicalized is high.
Such acts are aimed at changing the mindset of the people, and this is a potential danger that the agencies are trying to prevent.