ATS raid: Wards of arrested football coach to get psychiatric counsel

Mumbra residents will be conducting awareness programmes to educate local youths and more importantly, their families about radical elements among them. Pic/Rajesh Gupta

Did arrested terror suspect Salman Khan dribble a dose of terror propaganda while teaching Mumbra children footy? That is the question troubling parents who sent their kids to him for football training. To counter any fear of their children being influenced by a wayward ideology, local social workers will be going door to door, and taking the help of psychiatrists to spread awareness about radicalisation and help any child if they have been led astray.

Khan, who was a football coach in Mumbra, was among the nine suspects arrested by the state Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) on the suspicion of planning a terror attack. He was quite famous in the area, so much so that the football champion's arrest had residents shocked and in disbelief. However, following the arrest, some locals feel he might have influenced youngsters or tried to indoctrinate them to follow the ideologies of terror outfits under the pretext of teaching them soccer.

Professional help
While none of those fears have been proven true, the residents have taken up the responsibility of assessing whether their suspicions are true. Local social groups in the area, namely Almas and Accord, plan on seeking professional help to ascertain if any child has been allegedly misled. Shaikh Javed Akhtar from Accord federation said "We will be taking the help of psychiatrists to ascertain whether or not the young minds were influenced by any terror module. If we get any such sign, we will take all possible steps to de-radicalize them."

Local social groups in the area, namely Almas and Accord, would be going door to door to spread awareness against wayward ideologies. Pic/Rajesh Gupta

The groups will also be conducting awareness programmes in which their social workers will be educating the parents of teenagers who are semi-literate. "Mumbra's literacy rate is very poor, but most of the houses are equipped with an internet connection. Since the youngsters are exposed to the internet, the chances of them being possibly influenced by terror outfits are very high. So first, we will educate the semi-literate or poorly educated parents about the pros and cons of the internet. Later, we will also educate them about keeping a check on their children," said Mohammad Anis Siddiqui from the Almas colony Resident Welfare Association.

Spreading awareness
The social groups told mid-day that every week they will be going door to door to spread awareness against such outfits. "Our core intention is to make them tech savvy so they can monitor their children who use internet-enabled devices," added Siddiqui, who further added that the residents of Mumbra have been reeling under constant fear of being caught by the cops. Besides this, the social group will also be meeting the friends of Khan's 17-year-old brother who has also been picked up for questioning by ATS. "It is possible that the minor suspect might have tried to influence his friends to follow the ideologies of terror groups. So, we will be meeting his friends and try to counsel them," said Akhtar.

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