Bengaluru: Vijay Kumar, one among the two abducted professors who were released from ISIS’ captivity in August this year, said radicalised Indian youth who are well-educated and technically qualified are absorbed into ISIS for technical support and even as commanders for their terror activities.
They work for the technical wings, which involves hacking, technological monitoring of day-to-day activities including updating them on social media as they know the fact that Indians do well in information-technology worldwide.
“I have heard that IS recruiters look for prospects with proficiency in M.Tech and Chemistry majors as their backgrounds and hackers are always welcome,” Vijay Kumar told Deccan Chronicle.
Usually, recruits from South East Asian countries and African countries, along with India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are looked down upon as they are considered timid, when compared with Arabs and Muslims from the UK and other European countries. The latter are treated well as they believe they have the physique and are courageous.
However, there is always a period of observation by the IS where each recruits’ skills are closely monitored, analysed and scrutinized, before they are put in their respective posts that suits the bill, the professor said, adding that the manner in which they are done could be unorganised.
While the radicalised men are recruited promised with women, house, cars and cash, but once they are in, they lead a difficult life as they start to realize most of the promises were false.
The ‘not well-educated’ radicalized men, who are physically fit, are used as fighters in front-line battlefield, while other non-educated and physically unfit radicalized youths, who are reportedly more in number, are used as servants, drivers, and orderlies for the commanders and heads in ISIS, who enjoys all the promised privileges said above, said Vijay Kumar.
Two abducted teachers alive
Four months into their abduction by the IS in Libya, the two Indian teachers T. Gopikrishna and Balram Kishan from Telangana are reportedly alive, but still remain to be captives in Sirte, said Vijay Kumar. Four of them were abducted on July 29 night, while they were returning to India. The other released professor is Lakshmikant from Raichur in Karnataka.
“I am in touch with the director of the University of Sirte to enquire about the well-being of my two other colleagues who were kidnapped along with us and learnt two weeks ago that the University has been partially opened since October 18 and both Gopikrishna and Balram are alive,” said Vijay Kumar.
“The university is doing its best to provide all documents about the two teachers negotiating for their release, but since the two teachers belong to a sister-concern university of University of Sirte in Al Jufrah, their releases are in question as Al Jufrah that is 350 kilometres away from Sirte does not come under the purview of IS and their jurisdictional laws are entirely different from that of the IS, said Vijay Kumar.
The professor explained that there are continuing conflicts in Al Jufrah between the pro-Muammar Gaddafi rebels and the IS. Meanwhile, both the Indian embassy in Tripoli and the management of University of Sirte are waiting for the right time to make their efforts to negotiate for the release of the two teachers. T. Gopikrishna was teaching Computer Science and Balram Kishan taught English at the Al Jufra branch of the University of Sirte since 2007 and 2011 respectively.
Download the all new Deccan Chronicle app for Android and iOS to stay up-to-date with latest headlines and news stories in politics, entertainment, sports, technology, business and much more from India and around the world.
