Where are those who have gone missing?

As per a report published in this paper on July 21, some 262 people have gone "missing" over the last 18 months. We do not know how many of these individuals have ended up as militants but police sources estimate as many as 100 may have. This timeline coincides with the emergence of the Islamic State (IS) as a major force in the Middle East. 

Given the above, it is important that agencies delve deeply into how so many of the so-called militants have been motivated to join up with extremist organisations. We need to know the means and methodology of recruitment followed by outfits like the IS which is now allegedly drawing not only young and impressionable people but also established professionals to their fold. 

This paper has been highlighting the problem of rising militancy for some time now. But to our dismay, these warning have gone unheeded. We wonder how much can be done about those who have already signed up to foreign extremist outfits and left the country. But we can do something so that future recruitment can be stemmed. This requires the involvement of the society at large, cutting across party lines, where raising social awareness should be the key component. It requires parental involvement in the day to day lives of their children – how they spend their time in schools, finding out who their friends and associates are, what they read and watch. And there is greater need for the government agencies to work hand-in-hand with the community and religious leaders to counter the distorted messages that are being disseminated in the name of religion.