'No Public Funeral' For Terrorists: How Centre Wants To Disrupt Radicalisation, Mass Mobilisation In J&K

News18

2 days ago

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Instead of allowing militant groups to use processions or public gatherings, the security forces now quietly bury the bodies in remote locations or where the encounter took place
In a strategic move to break the cycle of youth radicalisation and curb mass mobilisation in Jammu & Kashmir, the government has enforced a 'no public funeral" and 'no procession with the body" policy for terrorists killed in encounters with security forces.
News18 has learnt that instead of allowing militant groups to use processions or public gatherings with bodies to 'glorify" terrorists, the security forces now quietly bury them in remote locations or where the encounter took place — often in the presence of family members brought under surveillance. A central government officer involved in counter-terror operations told News18 that in some high-risk zones, relatives might even be blindfolded if necessary.
This policy, implemented quietly over the past few months, aims to deny terror networks the public spectacle that helps 'brainwash" Kashmiri youths. Funeral processions of slain militants in the past often turned into charged gatherings with 'anti-India" slogans, recruitment pitches, and glorification of violence.
A source said the funeral of Burhan Wani is one such example. For intelligence and security agencies, these events were not just mourning rituals but flashpoints that fuelled the terrorism ecosystem, the source added.
'These funerals were no longer just emotional events. We saw how these funerals were becoming recruitment rallies and platforms for the radicalisation of young minds," said the senior officer. 'We had to cut that cord."
With this, the government is not just fighting terrorists with guns — it is targeting the psychological, social, and emotional scaffolding that supports and sustains militancy in the region. The focus is clear: dismantling the structure, not just eliminating foot soldiers.
'Terrorists are often just unemployed youths — radicalised, brainwashed, or paid to pick up arms," another senior officer told News18. 'But our aim is to destroy the command-and-control networks that run the show behind the scenes."
Officers serving in the region believe that preventing public funerals starves the terror propaganda machinery of powerful images — no processions, no slogans, and no viral videos. Crucially, no symbolic martyrdom.
'Violence will no longer be rewarded with visibility. Our message is clear," the officer said.
This policy is part of a broader, integrated counter-terror framework that includes financial crackdowns on and identification of overground workers (OGW), digital surveillance to track radical content, and efforts to plug crossborder infiltration routes.
The government is also actively reaching out to at-risk youth with rehabilitation, skill building, and alternative employment options — trying to break the chain before it forms. However, the most decisive element is this silent burial protocol. In a region where symbolism has long been a tool of insurgency, the absence of it might be the most powerful antidote, the officer added.
About the Author
Madhuparna Das
First Published:
June 17, 2025, 07:30 IST