Kerala - Kochi   

`Extremist activities under control'

LAW &ORDER Pro-active policing will keep extremism under control, city's crime busters tell John L. Paul

The activities of extremist elements in Ernakulam district is well under control, with the incident in which a Tamil Nadu Transport Corporation bus was torched at Kalamassery being termed as a stray one by the police.

The police force is confident that the extremist menace can be brought under control, if not stemmed completely, by pro-active policing. City Police Commissioner P. Vijayan said that a distinction has to be drawn between extremist and anti-social elements. "The latter are potential threats, whereas hardcore extremists are a different category. By indulging in pro-active policing, extremist activities can be nipped in the bud," he said.

Although the influence of extremist organisations in the city is less, some of them are active in the suburbs. These are likely to have a repercussion in the city as well, feels Mr. Vijayan. "But we are countering it by tight policing and intelligence gathering. We will strike at the root of extremist elements. As of now police personnel in mufti have been posted in some Tamil Nadu buses and in other places, to thwart possible attacks by extremist elements, Mr. Vijayan said.

Extremism has not reached alarming proportions in the district, said Ernakulam Range DIG K. Padmakumar. "We have a complete data base of extremist and allied groups and are keeping a close watch over their activities. The police have regular brainstorming sessions with the intelligence wing to constantly update the data bank," he said.

Active in suburbs

Many police officers admit that some extremist outfits (both religious and political) are active in the city suburbs. This fact can be gauged from posters that appear from time to time in these areas. Managing director of Supplyco and former City Police Commissioner Jacob Thomas said that extremism has not increased, despite stray incidents. "It is the aftermath of two factors. The political and police leadership's focus gets diverted from law-and-order duties, providing space for extremists to raise their head. They also increase in strength when the underlying cause of extremism is not addressed."

This is because extremism is mostly ideology based and against the establishment. The inability to influence policy decisions and the availability of followers, added to ideology, act as an impetus to extremists.

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